"I want to be able to make it so that my mom doesn’t have to work this hard" - Osaka on initial career goals in tennis

Naomi Osaka revealed that her early tennis goals were mostly tied to wanting to make life easier for her mother.

Osaka was able to get into tennis largely because her parents worked hard in order for her to pursue a fairly expensive sport. The Japanese player recalled a time when her mother would wake up at 04.00 am to go to work and it was motivation for her to practice harder in order to make it.

She recalled that time during a recent panel for the launch of her media company. She described the moment she finally made it 'priceless':

Read also

Fernandez moves into Quarter-Finals during WTA 125 in Mexico

"When my mom was able to retire. When I was younger she couldn’t really come to any of my matches or my practices because she was the one providing like she was working because tennis isn’t a cheap sport. She would literally work all the time and there was days that I didn’t see her. She would go to work so early and come back so late."

She added:

"I knew that one of my main goals, when I was starting to play tennis, was like I want to be able to make it so that my mom doesn’t have to work this hard. So, I guess when I finally accomplished that goal, it was really emotional for me. I always dreamed that I would be able to do that but just like have it happen so that she doesn’t have to go to work at 4 am you know or something crazy and she could do whatever she wants."

Read also

Suspended British player Tara Moore hits out at Novak Djokovic's PTPA for supposed favouritism: "Their silence tells you everything "