This year she showed great form in several tournaments and made great progress, finishing the season as the 16th ranked player in the world. However, a knee injury derailed her plans, and before the Australian Open, Osaka revealed how she feels about the new season and the Australian Open.
The famous tennis player is currently in Perth and realizes how important the start of the season will be for her.
“It’s probably one of my favorite parts of the year. It’s going to be a lot of fun starting here, and I haven’t been to Perth for a while so it’s good to be back,” Osaka said, as quoted by The Tennis Gazette.
United Cup
Osaka will participate in this year’s United Cup and represent Japan in the mixed team competition.
The United Cup was introduced in 2022 and takes place at the start of the season. The mixed team tournament consists of men and women and the entire tournament is a preparation for the Australian Open.
The famous tennis player indicated that she feels special before the start of this tournament, aware that she will attract a lot of attention and that she will be the most important figure in her team.
When asked if she was ready for the tournament, she said
“I hope so. I think I’ll let you know after my first few matches, but I think so. I feel like I’m slowly getting stronger every year, so I hope I’m better next year too.”
The popular tennis player has not had the opportunity to participate in this tournament, but she will certainly take it seriously and is aware of the stakes of such a tournament.
‘Yes, I certainly mean that [special],” Osaka said. “Obviously I’ve never played in the United Cup before, but I think I’m going to try to treat it like the Billie Jean King Cup.”
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