“
It always feels good to come back here
,” Osaka said at Rod Laver Arena where she twice won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, following her 6-4, 3-6, 6- victory. 3. “
It's really nice to play in front of an audience. I feel like I made a lot of unforced errors, but I expected it because it's my first match (since the US Open, editor's note) and I was really nervous
, ”admitted the Japanese, 13th in the world.
Also double winner of the US Open (2018 and 2020), Osaka said in early September that she wanted to "
take a break for a while
" after her elimination in the third round at Flushing Meadows, followed by a press conference where she had broken down nervously.
Previously, she had withdrawn during the tournament at Roland Garros and had bypassed Wimbledon, revealing to have anxiety problems, marked by "several depressive episodes".
The 24-year-old had notably explained that her problems were exacerbated when she had to appear in front of the media after her meetings.