Reigning Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka talks about her preparation ahead of big matches

World No. 2 Naomi Osaka who recently clinched the Australian Open after defeating United States’ Jennifer Brady in the finals is considered as the new star who will be here to dominate the Women’s circuit for the next decade.

Osaka’s game has only improved with every event and it looks like the Japanese tennis star is getting close to her best form. However, fans have realized a slight pattern in her play, that she sometimes struggles early on but the big matches get the best out of her. In a  recent interview, the four-time Grand Slam winner revealed how she works really hard to prepare herself for the big matches.

“Physically I mainly prepare out of season,” began Osaka. “During these workouts, the body is on autopilot so I don’t really dwell on that much. Mentally, it is a bit more challenging.”

The 23-year-old adds how she feels that tennis is a sport with a lot of ups and downs and each game is a learning curve for her. She feels that the difficult experiences in sport are the most valuable assets for an athlete.

“Tennis is full of ups and downs and I feel like I learn from every game. Difficult experiences are valuable and I know they will help me in the end,” added the Japanese star.

Osaka went on to reveal how the Grand Slams are even worse for her in terms of preparation. She added how she struggles to sleep the night before a big match and how her family always manages to calm her down.

“Going to the Slam finals is definitely the worst. You really can’t sleep at night and you tend to overthink everything until the last minute. When that happens, I usually call my family and they calm me down. Then I go on the court and hope for the best,” concluded the World No. 2

Osaka has started the 2021 season brilliantly with a great win at the Australian Open and now with the focus shifting to clay court, the Japanese will be keen to perform well in those upcoming events as well as she builds herself up for the Roland Garros. With the number 1 rank in her mind, the 23-year-old will be looking to keep no stone unturned to reach there at the end of this season.