Madrid<\/a> Open with two-year-old Shai in tow and a more positive perspective.<\/p>\n\u201cI was able to go home, pretty much be a mom,\u201d said the former world number one.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I would take her to school, pick her up from school, and it was really cool. She\u2019s here with me so just getting to see her face and going to practises and coming back, it\u2019s been really special to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think her growing older and just being able to figure out her schedule, with school, it\u2019s been really helpful, and I also just really love travelling with her, showing her the world and just exploring.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe loves travel. She loves the airport, she loves aeroplanes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Osaka struggled for consistent results after coming back to the tour at the start of 2024 but appeared to have positioned herself as a potential grand slam champion again when she reached the US Open semi-finals last summer.<\/p>\n
However, she has not been able to kick on from there, with recurrent abdominal problems causing frustrating hiatuses.<\/p>\n
Osaka is confident she has the right approach on clay, though, saying after beating Camila Osorio 6-2 7-5 in her opening match in Madrid: \u201cI think, for me, on clay, I have one goal, which is to go out on my own terms.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did OK in Australia, was doing OK in Indian Wells. I played (Aryna) Sabalenka. I think from there I learned a lesson of just trying to be more aggressive, and I\u2019m trying to implement it here.\u201d<\/p>\n