"I do think I can win a Slam this year": Naomi Osaka not under pressure but setting high expectations in comeback

Former world number one Naomi Osaka believes that she can win a Grand Slam in 2024. The 26-year-old has recently returned to the court after a gap of more than 12 months as she took a break because of pregnancy.

Osaka was recently quoted in a report where she stated that she believes she has what it takes to win a major tournament in 2024.

“I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but I do think I can win a slam this year,” she said. “It’s a long season and I’ve beefed up my schedule with more tournaments to give myself more match play. I think that I’ll be in a great place come summer hard court swing.”

Talking about how she is feeling after returning to the court, the Osaka-born expressed optimism that after becoming a mother, she believes she has more slams to win in her career.

“I don’t feel that way [that tennis has moved on],” she said. “I have such a great team around me, and we are putting in the work every day to make sure that I’m ready to compete at the highest level.

“Giving birth was the most painful experience of my life and it showed me that I can handle so much more physically than I ever thought. I know that I have several more slams in me and I want my daughter to see me play and win. That’s really important to me.”