2028 Olympic hopes? What we learned from Osaka’s press conference in Toronto

TORONTO — The cauldron is still glowing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but Naomi Osaka already has her eyes set on 2028. The former World No.1 is hoping by the time Los Angeles rolls around, she will have perfected her Olympic experience.

“I would say in Tokyo, I was definitely really stressed,” said, Osaka who was only 22 when she was given the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.

“In Paris, I felt a lot more fun. And obviously there were spectators there, so it was a lot different.

“But I didn’t stay in the village, so that is something that I regret a little bit not to have the full experience. Overall, I think it was it was fun. Hopefully, I can play in LA.”

First things first though. This week, Osaka will compete at the National Bank Open in Toronto. How happy is she to be back on hard courts?

“As soon as my foot touched the hard court, I felt like Sailor Moon just transforming,” Osaka told reporters on media day, referencing the eponymous magical girl superhero from Japanese manga and anime.

“I honestly thought I would feel a lot of pressure in this section — and maybe once I start playing my matches, I might a little bit — but I think, as hard as the European swing was, I feel like I learned a lot from it. It’s just, I hope, going to make me a more complete player. I’m really excited to see what happens here.”

Osaka comes into Toronto on the heels of a return to the Top 100. She began her season ranked outside the Top 800 in January, but has steadily worked her way back thanks to an uncharacteristically nonstop schedule, one that she confirmed will continue through the end of the year. The results have not always fallen her way this year, but Osaka says she hasn’t been discouraged.

The luck of the draw has not been on Osaka’s side so far this year. She faced Angelique Kerber in the first round of the Olympics and Iga Swiatek in the second round of Roland Garros, for example — but Osaka no longer defines herself by the cruel black-and-white nature of wins and losses.

She knows she’s playing well. And now we’re into the section of the season where, historically, she feasts.

“For example, I lost in the Olympics,” Osaka said. “I was, of course, really devastated. But I was just surrounded by my team. And then I went back home and I saw my daughter, and she’s just happy to be alive. She’s happy that I’m her mom for some reason and it just gave me a lot of motivation.

“Because I feel like when I was younger — I don’t want to make this sound really negative — but in a way, I was searching for my purpose in life. The way I grew up, my only purpose was tennis. Then obviously taking like the year that I had as a break, it kind of let me see that there’s so many different things in life and it’s a beautiful world.

Osaka’a new and refreshed perspective has bled into all areas of her life. While her early career was seemingly predicated on a blinders-like approach to her game, now the 26-year-old finds her head on a swivel, keen to try new things and take inspiration from her fellow competitors. She has worked with a movement coach throughout the season to improve her footwork. She admits to a little bit of friendly scouting, too.

“Honestly, after pregnancy, I wasn’t really sure how my movement would be,” Osaka said. “I remember being on the track at UCLA and almost crying in frustration because I felt like I couldn’t run as fast as I wanted to, and it kind of felt like I was in a body suit that was just not performing the way I wanted. And, now to be here, I think is really incredible achievement.

“I was stalking Iga. I was watching her practice at the Olympics, and for me, that’s something I want to do more, watch the great players, because there’s always something I can pick up on. I know she has one of the best footwork skills on the WTA. I’m just trying to copy a little bit.”

In Toronto, Osaka is set to face two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur in the first round. She’s used to these opening draws now, but this one will be special. It’s just the second time the two have faced on the Hologic WTA Tour.

Osaka has credited Jabeur for her thoughtfulness and generosity in helping Osaka feel comfortable at the 2015 WTA Rising Stars event in Singapore. She even signed Jabeur to her agency, Evolve, last year, though Jabeur departed at the end last season.

But that has not affected their mutual admiration. Osaka and Jabeur paired up for doubles in February in Abu Dhabi.

“Thinking about playing Ons, it just makes me feel like we’re going to have so much fun,” Osaka said. “She’s such a great person, so there’s not too much pressure, like I’m going into the match thinking, ‘Oh, I want to win so bad.’

“I just feel like I have to focus on my side of the court because obviously she does a lot of incredible things. And, yeah, it should be really fun.”