Tennis star Naomi Osaka has surged into her first quarterfinal in nearly two years at the Qatar Open. Her opponent, Lesia Tsurenko, was forced to withdraw due to an elbow injury.
This marks a significant comeback for the former world No. 1, who stepped away from tennis for over a year after becoming a mother. Osaka has openly discussed her mental health struggles in the past, including experiencing depression after her first Grand Slam win in 2018.
Despite her current ranking of 747, the second-lowest for a WTA 1000 quarterfinalist, Osaka has dominated the Qatar Open so far. She secured back-to-back victories against Caroline Garcia and Petra Martic.
This quarterfinal appearance is her first since the 2022 Miami Open final, where Iga Swiatek emerged victorious.
Osaka credits motherhood with transforming her perspective. She shared with CNN that she’s less bothered by distractions and feels a renewed focus on what truly matters.
“It feels like I’m starting new,” she said. “I don’t feel as pressured, and in a way, it’s like I’m doing this for myself to see how far I can go.”
Next up for Osaka is a quarterfinal clash against Czech player Karolina Pliskova, another former world No. 1.
