"I'm just trying to cherish this experience" - Osaka on Olympic Games mindset after easing into third round
WTAMonday, 26 July 2021 at 14:00
Naomi Osaka eased into the third round of the Tokyo Olympic Games with victory over Viktorija Golubic on Monday winning through 6-3, 6-2.
This is the first tournament in eight weeks for Osaka who stepped away for mental health reasons after withdrawing from the French Open.
On her Twitter, she posted the caption 'I'm here for a good time' and said similar in her press conference post match on her mindset to approaching the games.
“It would mean a lot to win gold here but I know it’s a process. I know these are the best players in the world and, honestly, I haven’t played in a while, so I’m trying to take it one notch at a time," said Osaka.
“All in all, I’m just really happy to be here. I haven’t been in Tokyo for a couple of years.”
“I put this pressure on myself to do well because I know that I don’t play that many tournaments and I feel like I watched these players playing the tournaments while I was on my break so I just really, really want to do well,” she added.
“I feel like as long as I work hard, relatively keep my head down, then good things will happen. For me, it’s dream to be here, to play the Olympics. This is my first one, so I’m just trying to cherish this experience.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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