Naomi Osaka.Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty
It’s been a whirlwind year for Naomi Osaka, and she’s learned to take it all in stride.
In an interview with PEOPLEearlier this month to promote herPlay Academy, a program that aims to help other young girls find empowerment through sport, Osaka spoke about how she’s grown as a person and athlete throughout 2021 and early 2022.
“For me, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to try to be present in each moment,” Osaka, 24, told PEOPLE. “It’s easy to lose sight of how far you’ve come, but I’ve been prioritizing trying to live in the moment and enjoy the journey.”
Osaka has recently been outspoken about the importance of prioritizing mental health, having previously withdrawn from the 2021French Openbecause of anxiety and depression. She laterwithdrew from Wimbledonlast year to take “personal time” before competing at theTokyo Summer Olympics, where she fell in the third round.
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“I think being honest about how I feel can help other people feel less alone,” Osaka said of her decision to go public with her struggles and speaking out about seeking therapy this year. “Therapy is something that everyone can benefit from, regardless of if they are ‘struggling’ or not.”
Continued Osaka, “Seeing a therapist has been helping me to cope with anxiety. I don’t have all the answers, but I hope that my transparency can help someone else who may be feeling similarly.”
Her eventual return to the circuit almost netted her a victory this year, with Osaka finishing in second to Iga Swiatek at the 2022 Miami Open.
With Wimbledon 2022 on the horizon, Osaka said she’s approaching this tennis season with a mindset of “fun.”
She explained, “Obviously, I want to win, but I want to make sure that I am enjoying myself along the way. I play my best tennis when I am enjoying it.”
She previously told PEOPLE, “For me, buildingPlay Academywas not just about impacting others and encouraging young girls in sports; it is about raising awareness, and so creating a website shines a light on the work we do.”
source: people.com
