Naomi Osaka.Photo: Rob Prange/Shutterstock
While speaking with PEOPLE about releasingNFTs with Tom Brady-co-founded platformAutograph, the tennis superstar says, “I never thought about speaking my mind as something that was difficult. I really just wanted to express my true feelings and be honest with not only myself but to others about struggles. The more we can all be open the more we can help each other be better.”
And since then, Osaka has realized she’s helped many.
Osakawithdrew from the French Openin May, citing anxiety surrounding media interviews and confirming that she’d been facing depression since winning the US Open in 2018. The next month, she thenwithdrew from Wimbledonto take “personal time” before competing at theTokyo Summer Olympics, where she fell in the third round.
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Osaka tells PEOPLE she’s now found ways that help her to keep her “centered” — from meditation to listening to music and gaming. Those practices will be helpful as she gears up for the US Open, which kicks off in New York next week.
“I love playing at the US open as it brings me back to Queens, where I grew up training and it feels like I am always coming back to a place with great memories,” she says.
Osaka never stops training, with tournament-prep part of her daily life, so there’s been no huge change-up before the Grand Slam: “There is always an element of training and physical fitness.”
source: people.com
