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Naomi Osaka Turns Self-Critic as She Acknowledges Major Shortcomings in Her Game Ahead of Australian Open Return

Published 01/15/2024, 12:18 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Japanese tennis star, Naomi Osaka made an honest confession ahead of her Australian Open 2024 journey. Osaka was playing against Czech Republican player, Karolina Pliskova in round 2 of the Brisbane International. She joined this tournament as a warm-up event before the Grand Slam event. However, In a close three-setter, Osaka was defeated by Pliskova. Following that loss, Osaka revealed her tennis weaknesses to the fans.

Osaka had previously expressed great hope about the first Grand Slam event of the year. Her return with the Brisbane Internation was truly exciting for her fans as well. Analyzing her match against Pliskova, Osaka recently came up with a strategy for the AO 2024.

Naomi Osaka feels that her match with Pliskova could have ‘turned out completely differently’

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This Japanese tennis star made an honest confession and shared all the weaknesses she found in her match against Pliskova. Osaka said, “In the match against Pliskova, I felt that my serve was good enough. But at the same time, I wish my return was even 10% better…There were a lot of break points in that match. If I had taken even three of them, I think the match would have turned out completely differently.”

via Imago

Not only that, but Osaka went further to share more about her mistakes, as she also spoke about her issues with the backhand strokes. However, she is still hopeful about her improvements. Osaka said, “I’m confident that I can do what I need to do. I feel like I can play my way throughout the match.”

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Naomi Osaka’s confession showcases her dedication to the sport. The way she was spotted admitting her mistakes with a keen interest in improvisation, fans were assured that she will do great in this season. However, will she be able to do enough to win this Grand Slam event?

“Froggy” Welcome for Naomi Osaka in Brisbane as Tennis Practice Takes a Quick Halt

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After a shaky start to her comeback, will Osaka be as confident as she was a few weeks ago?

Naomi Osaka will play against France’s Caroline Garcia in the first round of the Australian Open 2024. While her fans are excited about her return, Naomi Osaka’s performance at the Brisbane International concerns people. They think that after playing just two matches at the tournament, Osaka might not be able to face off against tough competitors like Iga Swiatek or Coco Gauff.

Nevertheless, this Japanese tennis star is confident and that is all that matters to her fans right now. Interestingly enough, Osaka was found super-confident about her chances at the AO a few weeks ago too. On being asked about it, she replied, “I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but I do think I can win a slam this year. It’s a long season and I’ve beefed up my schedule with more tournaments to give myself more match play. I think that I’ll be in a great place come summer hard court swing.”

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Osaka’s confession about her mistakes at the match against Pliskova assured fans about her dedication to the sport. Whether she wins the Australian Open 2024 or not, Naomi Osaka will always be loved by her fans for her honesty and respect for tennis.

Watch this story:  ‘My Wife Would Hate Me’ – Serena Williams’ Husband Says His Entire Family Is Like A ‘Start-Up’

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Written by:

Upasana Banerjee

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I began my journey as a tennis writer at EssentiallySports after 6.5 years in content creation, including both sports and non-sports topics, gaining wide-ranging expertise. To date, I have contributed more than 600 articles, in both tennis and esports.
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Edited by:

Shudh.mukherjee