"Couple of weeks ago I was doubting if I could play with everyone" - Naomi Osaka after Brisbane International 2R loss

Naomi Osaka suffered a second-round exit at the Brisbane International, losing out to Karolina Pliskova in a tight three-set battle.

The Japanese, who was playing in her first tournament since returning from maternity leave, remains hopeful of continuing her comeback on the big stage.

Speaking to the media at her post-match press conference, Osaka said even stepping out on the court felt like a “personal win” as she had doubted her ability to make a comeback to the sport.

"Yeah, I mean, I think for me even stepping on the court is a personal win because a couple of weeks ago I was even doubting if I could play with everyone," Naomi Osaka said.

"So I guess these two matches that I've had kind of prove to me that I am doing okay, and the year is just going to get better for me," she added.

The Japanese said that while she was disappointed by the loss, she was determined to continue training and getting back to her best.

"Even though it's super disappointing today, I know that if I keep training and if I keep putting in the work, then I'll eventually get to where I want to be," Osaka said.

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"Overall I think it was a great match, and I had a lot of fun" - Naomi Osaka after Brisbane exit

Naomi Osaka at the 2024 Brisbane International.

Reflecting on the match against Karolina Pliskova, Naomi Osaka said she went in expecting her opponent — a former World No. 1 — to play at a high level.

The Japanese admitted that her stay in Brisbane was much shorter than she would have liked but added that she was happy with her performance and had a lot of fun.

"Yeah, honestly I knew that she was going to play really well, and whenever I play her, it's always three sets," Naomi Osaka said. "The week is definitely shorter than I wanted it to be, but overall I think it was a great match, and I had a lot of fun."

Addressing the stats from the match, Osaka said she would have liked her break-point conversion to have been better.

"I saw the stats after, and my break points could have been better," she said. "But I think other than that, we both played really well. So hopefully she says the same thing."

Osaka converted just two out of 12 break-point opportunities while Pliskova took both of hers.