Naomi Osaka has come a long way! The Japanese tennis player in the past few years has been on a roller coaster ride, starting from opening up about mental health struggles to becoming a mother. But it has not been an easy road. As she gets ready to make a comeback, rival Daria Saville recently took a trip down memory lane to open up about the time when she witnessed the 26-year-old in tears after a loss at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

While the four-time Grand Slam champion has stood tall with tennis competitors in their ups and downs, there was a time when she lost it all after losing an opening match in her country. Let’s look at what the Australian tennis player had to say about Osaka’s emotional breakdown in the locker room that she witnessed in 2022.

Daria Saville recalls Naomi Osaka’s breakdown incident 

After becoming a mother and staying away from the court for a long time now, the former world number one is ready to make a comeback with Brisbane International. But even before that, Naomi Osaka had struggled with an injury that stopped her from achieving great form, which made her 2022 tennis season full of happiness and sorrow at the same time.

Recently, Saville, who played against her in the Pan Pacific Open back in 2022, opened up about how Osaka was left in tears after pulling out of the tournament because of an injury. In a pre-tournament press conference in Brisbane, the 29-year-old shed light on how she soothed the Japanese tennis player when she found her crying in the locker room.

She said, “I just remember I saw her crying in the locker room. I was like, Oh, my God, this is sad. She shouldn’t cry. She’s such a great tennis player. I was like, You’re probably going to win the next slam, you’ll be fine. And I think she won. Yeah, I think I’m pretty friendly off the court. Yeah, I empathize with people, players, ’cause actually the tour, we’re one big circus.” 

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It was not only the Australian who tried to give strength; in the same tournament before Osaka, Saville faced a similar unfortunate incident and found strength in Osaka’s words.

When Osaka encouraged Saville over an injury 

In the first round of the Tokyo Open, it was Daria Saville who suffered an abdominal injury while playing against Naomi Osaka. After witnessing the former world number 20 struggle on the court in the first round, the four-time Grand Slam champion shared a message for her.

She stated, “Hi Daria, it’s Naomi. I just wanted to wish you the best. I hope you’re doing better, I just want to let you know, you’re one of the funniest people on the Tour…” It won’t be wrong to say that tennis players look out for each other in tough situations and are there to confront and encourage them at the same time.

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