Naomi Osaka won her first-round Wimbledon match on Monday. It was her first win in six years, having spent five years away from the tournament due to a mental health break, the pandemic, injuries and maternity leave.
Osaka beat French tennis player Diane Parry in three sets: 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.
“I’m just really excited to be here,” she said in her post-match interview per CNN. “It’s funny, Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched after pregnancy and my daughter is turning one tomorrow, so I’m really glad to still be here.”
The Grand Slam winner gave birth to her daughter last July. Last week, she decided not to play in the Eastbourne International tournament so she could throw her daughter’s birthday party, NPR reports.
Osaka told NPR she is “just trying to piece myself back together” after giving birth and returning to tennis.
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“It feels really, really cool. I feel myself constantly being surprised by things on the ground and it’s just really nice to win a match,” she said.
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