MELBOURNE, Jan 4: Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said rediscovering her love for tennis and not focusing on results and rankings were among her top goals for 2022, following her return to action in Melbourne on Tuesday after a four-month break.
The Japanese former world number one struggled for form last year since withdrawing from the French Open in May following a row with tournament officials over required media appearances, which she said had a negative impact on her.
After losing to Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the US Open in September, Osaka took a break from the sport to focus on her mental health.
"I only really have one major goal this year, and it's completely unrelated to results and stuff like that. I just want to feel like every time I step on the court... I'm having fun," Osaka told reporters.
"I can walk off the court knowing that even if I lost, I tried as hard as I could. Also I have a goal in the press room, that I'm never going to cry again, so hopefully that works out in my favour.
"I'm the type of person that cared a little bit too much about the results and the ranking. I just need to find a way to enjoy the game again, because that's the reason why I was playing in the first place."
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