Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka is going through a tough phase in her career. The 24-year-old has failed to impress with her performances this year. She made headlines last year after pulling out of the French Open, citing mental health and anxiety issues. Although she made a comeback to the tour, her season by far has been marred by frequent injuries and inconsistent performances.

Her last appearance on the tour was the first-round loss against Amanda Anisimova in the French Open 2022. The 24-year-old was not sure about participating in the Wimbledon Championships without ranking points. However, she pulled out later because of an Achilles injury.

Recently, the four-time Grand Slam champion appeared in an interview, where she spoke about the role of her parents in building her career.

Naomi Osaka recalls her childhood

Tennis is an expensive game to make a career in. As parents, the financial requirement for providing proper training and equipment is huge for a middle-class family. Recalling her early days, Osaka remembered the struggle of her parents to make sure she can follow her dreams.

“I came from a mom that worked for basically my entire childhood to put me through tennis. My dad, who was with me the entire time. And I knew that they had a really hard time,” she said.

Further, she spoke about the belief her parents have shown in her dreams. Also, she credited them for everything she has achieved.

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“Tennis is an expensive sport. So, just to put two kids through that and just, I guess, believe in them so much is something that–I always call my parents a bit crazy,” she concluded.

Naomi Osaka on French Open 2021 withdrawal

Naomi Osaka was on the receiving end of heavy criticism when she pulled out of the 2021 Roland Garros. However, the 24-year-old has always maintained a stance on the importance of mental health.

The Japanese believes, that what she did will help other players with similar issues to come forward and talk about it.

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Now that she is out of action because of an Achilles injury, we hope she makes a strong comeback to the tour during the upcoming hard-court season.