Naomi Osaka quipped she has been "stalking" Iga Swiatek after her first-round defeat at the Olympics. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
Paris Olympics 2024: Naomi Osaka 'Stalking' Iga Swiatek To Improve Her Own Game
Four-time grand slam champion Osaka, now ranked at world number 95, lost in straight sets to Germany's Angelique Kerber on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris
Naomi Osaka was defeated early at Paris Olympics
Naomi Osaka was defeated early at Paris Olympics
Four-time grand slam champion Osaka, now ranked at world number 95, lost in straight sets to Germany's Angelique Kerber on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.
Former world number one Osaka returned to tennis earlier this year after giving birth in July 2023.
Now she hopes she can climb back up the rankings by watching others on the tour, and world number one Swiatek has been high on her list.
"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," Osaka told reporters ahead of the Canadian Open.
"I know she has one of the best footwork skills on the WTA. I'm just trying to copy a little bit."
The Japanese player found her Olympics experience more enjoyable than three years ago at her home Games, where she lit the Olympic flame.
"I would say in Tokyo [2020], I was definitely really stressed. In Paris, I felt a lot more fun. And obviously there were spectators there, so it was a lot different," reflected the 26-year-old.
"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 [in 2028]."
Osaka has naturally faced challenges in her return to sport following pregnancy, which has made her presence at the Olympics a year on from giving birth impressive in itself.
"Honestly, after pregnancy, I wasn't really sure how my movement would be,"?said Osaka.
"I remember being on the track at UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles] and almost crying in frustration because I felt like I couldn't run as fast as I wanted to.
"It felt like I was in a body suit that was not performing the way I wanted. Now, to be here, is a really incredible achievement."
Having a daughter has also given Osaka a new outlook on her sport.
"I lost in the Olympics, I was, of course, really devastated," she explained. "But I was just surrounded by my team.
"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 and it just gave me a lot of motivation.
"I feel like when I was younger I was searching for my purpose in life. The way I grew up, my only purpose was tennis. Then obviously taking the year that I had as a break, it let me see that there are so many different things in life and it's a beautiful world."
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