The Australian Open welcomes back Naomi Osaka on Monday.
Osaka, a two-time Australian Open winner, returned to tennis last month for the first time since September 2022 after giving birth to her first child in July.
Her daughter is a source of inspiration to achieve a long and fulfilling career on the court.
"I think my perspective on tennis has changed a lot. Just because I'm a lot more aware of how short an athlete's life span could be, and I think I just want my daughter to watch me play and hopefully appreciate that and know that tennis was a really big part of my life," she said in an interview ahead of her opening match in Melbourne.
Four-time major champion Osaka got a tricky draw - she goes up in the first round against 16th-seeded Caroline Garcia, who reached the U.S. Open semi-finals and won the WTA Finals in 2022.
Osaka, a two-time Australian Open winner, returned to tennis last month for the first time since September 2022 after giving birth to her first child in July.
Her daughter is a source of inspiration to achieve a long and fulfilling career on the court.
"I think my perspective on tennis has changed a lot. Just because I'm a lot more aware of how short an athlete's life span could be, and I think I just want my daughter to watch me play and hopefully appreciate that and know that tennis was a really big part of my life," she said in an interview ahead of her opening match in Melbourne.
Four-time major champion Osaka got a tricky draw - she goes up in the first round against 16th-seeded Caroline Garcia, who reached the U.S. Open semi-finals and won the WTA Finals in 2022.