Naomi Osaka, the world No. 8, had a poor showing in the US Open 2021. In New York, she was unable to retain her title and was eliminated in the third round of the Grand Slam. Surprisingly, she lost to Leylah Fernandez, a 19-year-old.
Naomi Osaka has decided to take a break from tennis after the 2021 US Open. She believes she is currently not entirely fit and fine and needs to take some time off the court. She even pulled out of the Indian Wells Masters 2021 due to mental health concerns.
Carole Bouchard believes something is amiss
Carole Bouchard, a prominent sports journalist, told Tennis Majors in an exclusive interview that Osaka seemed to be losing control of herself. She believes the four-time Grand Slam champion doesn’t have the same power as she did in the past.
“I think Naomi is maybe feeling she’s losing the control over what’s going on around her because she’s not in power. And I really think there’s a lot of things to learn from Maria Sharapova.” pic.twitter.com/MDeBoguULe
— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) September 24, 2021
“I think Naomi is maybe feeling she’s losing the control over what’s going on around her because she’s not in power,” Bouchard told in the interview.
At the 2021 French Open, Osaka suffered a mental breakdown. Despite making a comeback at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she has not been able to restore her form or momentum since the 2021 Australian Open.
Bouchard also stated in the same interview that Osaka can learn a lot from Maria Sharapova. She suggested that, like the five-time Grand Slam winner, Naomi should decline some photoshoots and ads in order to focus more on her game if they are distracting her.
“How to be a businesswoman but to be in charge of what you’re doing, to be in charge of your destiny in a way, saying no to a photoshoot if you don’t have a say.
“Maria has really dealt it in a way like, ‘I’m not going to be this pretty thing’, everybody’s doing a photoshoot about and having no say about anything…I really think there’s a lot of things to learn from Maria Sharapova,” added the journalist.
The tour’s return date for Naomi Osaka is currently unknown. Fans, on the other hand, have high hopes for her and anticipate her to make a great recovery on the court.
Read More: Naomi Osaka announces withdrawal from Indian Wells Masters