The World Cup of Tennis is back 🤩 16 nations will fight in the 2024 Qualifiers for eight places in November's Billie Jean King Cup Finals ⚔️ #BJKCup
Naomi Osaka aims to look at 'bigger picture' instead of results as she returns to Billie Jean King Cup action
WTAThursday, 11 April 2024 at 14:35
Naomi Osaka will play for the first time in Japan since withdrawing from the Toray Pan Pacific Open in 2022 before becoming a mother and will aim to force her way into the Olympic Games by playing the Billie Jean King Cup. She will face Kazakhstan on Friday with Japan albeit the opponents will not have Elena Rybakina in tow who will instead play Stuttgart only next week.
Unlike most of the players including Osaka who will be in action during this weekend's Billie Jean King Cup, with Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek and Angelique Kerber among others all heading to Stuttgart. Osaka will instead play in Rouen in a field headlined too by Caroline Garcia and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
A rise from 831st in the world to 193 in the space of only a few months, Osaka without gathering steam yet has shown real form since returning. But she is solely looking at the bigger picture in her return in improving her game and as a player instead of looking at results. Other players such as Kerber have spoken about becoming a mother and how that has freed them up tennis wise. This of course with the sport now coming second. "It's really tough to look at it results-wise," said Osaka. "But I have to look at it in a bigger picture and try to expand on my game and expand on the knowledge that I'm constantly learning as a player."
She was also asked about the Elina Svitolina win in Miami which she sees as encouraging. "It was one of the better matches in my career, just in terms of execution," she said. It is a first appearance since 2020 for Japan and Osaka used Ai Sugiyama as a reason behind that. Osaka though won't get into the Olympic Games just off this oen match and with the need to play two cycles will need a wildcard. "She's just always felt very kind and genuine and I always really wanted to try, just to be better in team atmospheres as well," said Osaka.
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Why does Tennisuptodate feel like her PR Department's constant deluge of daily/weekly media submissions are 'tennis news' ?
mandoist19-11-2024 - 'Apologies', in cases like this where people are caught being their True Selves, are best shoved up their butts.mandoist19-11-2024
- Paolini playing Swiatek and then has to come back an hour later to play doubles. The BJ Cup is like the rest of tennis entrepreneurs.PalopoDave18-11-2024
- Nice amount
AceOfBase18-11-2024 - Bitchy Jean King just said (in interview) "the WTA players should stop whining about the schedule and just Play". That's how she really feels about "my girls".mandoist16-11-2024
