Naomi Osaka looks back on her emotional admission about ‘mentally draining’ struggles as she gears up for US Open one year later

Exactly a year ago, Naomi Osaka penned an emotional post talking about her mental and physical journey in tennis. On Sunday, she looked back on the post, as her journey since then and now has been “crazy” and positive.

Dated Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Osaka admitted to herself about the internal battle with her performance and how she feels disconnected from her body on the court. She also added that she was missing the shots she wouldn’t have during this phase while describing the draining mental process.

“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” Osaka wrote at the time. “It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to… Mentally it’s really draining though. Internally I hear myself screaming ‘what the hell is happening?!?’

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“The only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being postpartum. That scares me because I’ve been playing tennis since I was 3.”

Looking back at her words from the post a year ago, Osaka had a refreshing outlook on life. She wrote:

"Crazy, I wrote this a year ago. What a journey life is."

Osaka endured a tough season last year after coming off a 15-month hiatus for maternity leave and mental health breaks. She faced early exits from all Grand Slam tournaments in 2024.

Reviewing Naomi Osaka's 2024 season

Last year, Naomi Osaka had a challenging run on the tennis court. The four-time Grand Slam champion made her comeback at the Brisbane International, where she defeated Tamara Korpatsch (6-3, 7-6) in her first match after becoming a mother.

However, at the Australian Open, she fell in the first round to Caroline Garcia in straight sets (6-4, 7-6). At Roland Garros, she pushed then-world No. 1 Iga Świątek to the third set (7-6, 1-6, 7-5) but in vain. After that, in Wimbledon, she lost in the second round to Emma Navarro (6-4, 6-1).

Finally, at the US Open, Naomi Osaka seemed more herself as she notched her first top-10 win in years, taking down Jelena Ostapenko, before bowing out in the second round to Karolina Muchov

"It's a little rough because I do take these losses really personally. It's like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose," she said after another early round exit at a Grand Slam championship. "I've been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them."

She also reflected on the year and the struggles that came with it with regard to performance and mental state. She added:

"It's been a little difficult because obviously I can only gauge how I'm doing by results. Like, I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it's a little rough," the former world number one said.

"But, also, it's been fun playing a lot of tournaments. It's been a commitment for sure, but I've been able to go to different cities that I've never been to."

In 2024, Naomi Osaka played 40 matches across 16 tournaments. Things have remained quite similar in 2025 as well, but she hopes to turn things around soon.

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Krutik Jain

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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