Naomi Osaka Puzzled By Form After Early Cincinnati Open Departure

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Naomi Osaka expressed that she still doesn't feel like herself eight months into her comeback season after her recent loss at the Cincinnati Open. She was defeated in three sets by Ashlyn Krueger during the second round of qualifying for the event, which precedes the final grand slam of the year at the US Open.

Osaka's struggles continued as she also lost in her first match at the Paris Olympics to Angelique Kerber and was eliminated in the last 32 of the Canadian Open last week. Her current form has left her puzzled, particularly regarding her accuracy and power. "My biggest issue currently isn't losses though, my biggest issue is that I don't feel like I'm in my body," Osaka wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. "It's a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn't miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to."

Osaka shared how mentally draining her current situation is. "I try to tell myself, 'It's fine you're doing great. Just get through this one and keep pushing', mentally it's really draining though. Internally, I hear myself screaming, 'What the hell is happening?!?!'" she added.

The Japanese player returned to action in January after a 15-month break during which she gave birth to her daughter. Now ranked 90th in the WTA rankings, her best finishes this year were reaching the quarter-finals in Doha and 's-Hertogenbosch.

"I've played a handful of matches this year that I felt like I was myself and I know this moment is probably just a small phase from all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard)," Osaka said. "However, the only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being post-partum."

Osaka admitted that this scares her because she's been playing tennis since she was three years old and feels that the racket should be an extension of her hand. Her next event will be at Flushing Meadows, where she won titles in 2018 and 2020.

Upcoming Challenges

Despite her past successes at Flushing Meadows, Osaka added that she did not understand why everything about her game felt brand new again. "This should be as simple as breathing to me, but it's not," she said. "I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now."

Osaka's journey back to top form continues as she navigates these challenges both physically and mentally.