Osaka regrets she was not more grateful for her life

CINCINNATI • Naomi Osaka admitted she had felt "ungrateful" at times over the last year for not fully appreciating her life as one of the world's top tennis players.

The world No. 2 sealed a comeback 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 second-round victory over Coco Gauff at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday - her first event outside the Olympics since withdrawing from the French Open in May.

The Japanese pulled out of Roland Garros after being punished for refusing to do media conferences, saying her mental health was adversely impacted by certain lines of questioning.

Osaka shed tears and briefly left a press conference in Cincinnati on Monday when asked about her relationship with the media and returned to the theme on Wednesday as she explained possible reasons for her emotional crisis.

"I was wondering why was I so affected, I guess, like what made me not want to do media," the 23-year-old told a news conference.

"I'm wondering if I was scared because sometimes I would see players lose and then the headline the next day would be like a collapse or they're not that great any more.

"Then I was thinking, me waking up every day, for me, I should feel like I'm winning. The choice to go out there and play, to go see fans. That people come out and watch me play, that itself is an accomplishment.

"I'm not sure when along the way I started desensitising that. Like it started not being like an accomplishment for me.

"So I felt like I was very ungrateful on that fact."

The four-time Grand Slam champion also said the restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic made things "really stressful" for her but recent events in Haiti and Afghanistan led to a change in her outlook.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has killed more than 2,000 people in Haiti, her father's homeland.

"Seeing the state of the world, like how everything is in Haiti, Afghanistan right now, is definitely really crazy," she said.

"And for me to just be hitting a tennis ball in the United States right now and have people come and watch me play... I would want to be myself in this situation rather than anyone else in the world."

As Osaka gears up for the Aug 30-Sept 12 US Open, former world No. 1 Simona Halep withdrew ahead of her second-round match against Jessica Pegula with a "small tear" to her right thigh muscle in yet another injury setback.

The Romanian, who missed the French Open and Wimbledon due to a left calf tear, managed to battle through the discomfort to defeat Magda Linette 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday but a scan revealed it would be unwise to continue.

The 29-year-old said she would rest and do everything she could to be ready for Flushing Meadows.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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