Naomi Osaka gets emotional after breaking 4-year title drought at Saint-Malo Open

Naomi Osaka sent out an emotional message after winning her maiden clay title to end a four-year title drought at the WTA 125 event called L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo. The tennis star will hope that her triumph provides her with just the right push to move forward with positivity for the rest of the season.

The Japanese tennis star has been having a difficult time getting her grip back on tennis after struggles with mental and physical setbacks in the past few years. Including this, she has also been navigating her way around motherhood with the birth of her daughter, Shai.

However, she showed great character in the final of the tournament as she clinched a stellar win against the Slovenian Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5. Post her win, she shared an emotional message with her fans on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting her growth amid all challenges.

"Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst. That’s one of my favorite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve. Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful ❤️," she wrote.

Naomi Osaka returned to tennis after a 15-month-long break in January last year, post-childbirth. She also spoke about how having a child changed her perspective on the sport.

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Naomi Osaka on how childbirth has changed her approach in life and tennis

Naomi Osaka reflected on life after childbirth - Source: Getty

After making her return to tennis last year in January, Naomi Osaka candidly spoke on the challenges she has encountered during the break and how childbirth changed the way she saw life.

She addressed this in an interview with the Guardian in May 2024, after making a long-awaited comeback in the sport.

“It forced me to see life in a different way. I know a lot of people probably think I retired in that year but it just made me a lot more grateful for the sport and, in turn, made me just know there’s so many possibilities outside tennis and I realised I would still love to play tennis,” she said.

Following her triumph at Saint-Malo, Naomi Osaka will be focusing on strengthening her prowess on clay courts and looking to make a strong display in the rest of the season. She is next scheduled to compete at the 2025 Italian Open.