Naomi Osaka is contemplating taking a break from professional tennis after revealing a significant hand injury.
The 27-year-old player was eliminated in the first round of the French Open earlier this week by Paula Badosa.
On Thursday, the current world No. 49 posted images online showing a severe injury to her hands.
On social media, she shared a picture of her fingers covered in painful-looking blisters.
Osaka stated that the injury prevented her from fully bending her fingers.
After her loss to Badosa, the Japanese star confessed she was “sick of this” situation and felt she needed a break “for a while.”
However, she also mentioned that despite these feelings, she ended up training because she experiences “anxiety” when she doesn`t work out.
The former world No. 1 appeared visibly emotional, reportedly crying while minimizing her performance and abilities on the court.
She also expressed feeling that she disappoints others, mentioning her trainer Patrick Mouratoglou, who previously coached Serena Williams.
She told reporters: “I think as time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. I hate disappointing people. So, like, even with [coach] Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking this just now, but like, he goes from working with, like, the greatest player ever to, like, `what is this?` You know what I mean?”
Osaka`s return to tennis since becoming a mother has been challenging.
In a separate interview, she described motherhood as “so fulfilling” but acknowledged the difficulty of balancing it with her career.
“Becoming a mom has been so fulfilling,” she stated. “My career requires me to travel for most of the year, which makes it tough when I have to be away from my daughter so frequently, but I`ve got such a great support system around. It takes a village, and I truly couldn`t do it without mine… Motherhood has definitely given me a broader perspective on life. Kids require so much patience, and I`ve definitely learned to be more patient through my daughter. I have a great team around me, and they are there with me during the highs and lows.”
