"I kind of felt ashamed" - Naomi Osaka on dealing with mental health issues, her learnings from tennis and more

Naomi Osaka has cemented her place as a champion on and off the court thanks to her exploits with the racquet coupled with her inspirational work with regard to mental health.

The 25-year-old, who is currently promoting her new book, opened up about what she learned as an athlete and why she chose to go public with her mental health issues.

Over the course of a chat with Robin Roberts on the Good Morning America show, Osaka disclosed that being an athlete taught her to be persistent and stubborn, which worked out in her favor.

"It (being an athlete) definitely taught me perseverance. But I also think it taught me a lot about stubbornness, which may not be good, but I think it worked out in my favor, and being dedicated," she said.

With regard to taking a break from the game after the French Open last year, the four-time Grand Slam champion stated that she felt ashamed at doing so because athletes are expected to be strong, before realizing that she needed time off to regroup herself.

"I pride myself on being a really honest person, and that gets me into trouble sometimes, but I like to express how I feel. For me, it was kind of building up for a while. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way because I learned a lot," she said.

"I felt like it was necessary, but I kind of felt ashamed at that moment because as an athlete you're told to be strong and kind of push through everything. But I think I learned that it's better to regroup and adjust the feelings that you have" she added.

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Naomi Osaka failed to strike form for most of 2022 season

Injuries and poor form have hampered Naomi Osaka throughout the 2022 season.

Naomi Osaka's mental health issues surfaced during the 2021 French Open following which she has continued to be hampered by poor form and injury.

A third-round exit at the Australian Open was followed by a heckling incident at the Indian Wells Open that led the former World No. 1 to burst into tears, which did little to bolster her confidence.

Despite reaching the finals of the Miami Open, Naomi Osaka failed to carry the momentum forward with an Achilles injury playing spoilsport ahead of the Italian Open.

The Japanese star attempted to shrug off unpleasant memories from the 2021 French Open as she touched down in Paris but was unable to progress beyond the opening round.

First-round losses at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open followed, and while many hoped that a home tournament would alter Osaka's fortunes, she had to withdraw ahead of her second-round match at the Japan Open owing to a bout of abdominal pain.

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