Naomi Osaka advances into Olympics third round feeling ‘refreshed and happy’
By Grace Kim
Naomi Osaka is back on the court, and she’s already won the first two matches in the beginning days of her Olympics debut in Tokyo.
On to the third round: Representing Japan in the Games, Osaka faced off against China’s Zheng Saisai on Sunday and defeated her opponent 6-1, 6-4 in Ariake Tennis Park’s Centre Court. In the second round on Monday, she defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 6-3, 6-2.
- Osaka, who’s ranked number two in the world, will need two more wins to be up for a medal.
- For the next match, she will be playing against Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova.
Return to the court: The Olympic events are Osaka’s first time competing in two months, after taking a break to prioritize her mental health, according to CNN.
- In May, the 23-year-old star athlete announced her withdrawal from the French Open after organizers fined her $15,000 for not attending a press conference. Weeks later, she also withdrew from Wimbledon, explaining that she was taking “personal time.”
- Speaking to reporters after the weekend match, Osaka said she felt “refreshed and happy” coming back from her break, Teen Vogue reported.
- “More than anything else, I’m just focused on playing tennis,” she said. “The Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so I feel like the break that I took was very needed.”
Osaka makes history: On the opening night of the Olympics, Osaka went down in history as the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron.
- Critics had more to say about it, with one writer questioning whether she was Japanese enough to light the cauldron.
- Nonetheless, Osaka took to social media to express her appreciation, describing the moment as “undoubtedly the greatest achievement and honor I will ever have in my life.”
Featured Image via Getty
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