Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has revealed her ‘regrets’ regarding her Olympics effort during the Tokyo Games last summer.
Osaka was arguably the face of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in her home country of Japan, and she was tipped to win historic gold medal for the host nation after the honour of lighting the flame at the Opening Ceremony was bestowed upon her.
With the weight of an expectant nation on her shoulders, Osaka’s journey came to an abrupt end with a third-round defeat to eventual silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova. The Czech star defeated Osaka 6-1 6-4 in the upset win.
Osaka has now expressed regret over not making the most of her time at Tokyo 2020, and took to social media to reveal her feelings to her 2.8 million followers.
“So the other day I was reflecting on the Olympics, I don’t know if it was because the Winter Olympics are going on now but something had me reminiscing about the time I had,” the 24-year-old wrote on Instagram. “I realised that I had regrets about the whole experience (not the torch lighting though that was [ fire emoji] literally), there was a deep sense of sadness for not having more fun for the time I was there.
“Can’t believe I was at the at the Olympics in Tokyo and I failed to consistently find the immense joy in that. I think that’s gonna be really important in my life going forward, just enjoying the experiences and making the most out of the time no matter how short or long it is.”
Osaka arrived in Tokyo as the world number two, and it was her first tournament appearance since she withdrew from the 2021 French Open on account of mental health. Osaka later revealed her struggles in more detail, commenting on how her battles with depression and anxiety had led to her wanting some time away from competitive sport.
The four-time Grand Slam champion took further time away from tennis after the US Open in August last year, but she was eliminated from last month’s Australian Open by Amanda Anisimova in the third round. Osaka has not played since her appearance in Melbourne and has slid down to world number 82.
However, the Japanese star has been awarded a wildcard for March's Indian Wells tournament - a familiar stomping ground for Osaka. Back in March 2018, she claimed her first WTA Tour win of her career.
