Tennis star Naomi Osaka was very public about her mental health challenges throughout 2021 and has been open about her decisions to take time away from the court.
The 24-year-old wrote a lengthy Instagram caption on Saturday explaining that she has been reflecting on her 2021 Olympic experience and now “regrets” that she didn’t enjoy her time in Tokyo for the Summer Games.
The Japanese tennis player also mentioned how she wished she’d taken better advantage of that once in a lifetime experience.
“I realized that I had regrets about the whole experience, (not the torch lighting though that was [fire emoji] literally), there was a deep sense of sadness for not having more fun for the time I was there. Can’t believe I was at the Olympics in Tokyo and I failed to consistently find the immense joy in that,” Osaka wrote in her caption.
Although Osaka now regrets how her time at the Olympics played out, she ended her caption with a positive message.
“I think that’s gonna be really important in my life going forward, just enjoying the experiences and making the most out of the time no matter how short or long it is,” Osaka wrote.
Osaka lost in round three of the Olympics and then took her second prolonged break from the sport in 2021. Osaka missed the French Open and Wimbledon last year due to mental health concerns, but she did play in the US Open and Olympics. She returned to tennis in 2022 at last month's Australian Open, falling to Amanda Anisimova in the third round.
