Naomi Osaka: 'I met Rafael Nadal in Mallorca, that was so cool'
Naomi Osaka commented on how it felt like to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy earlier this month. The Japanese player said: "I was able to go there for a little bit in between Germany and Spain, even though it's in Spain. Yeah, it was really nice. Stayed in -- I don't want to call it a dorm. It was more like a hotel that was connected to the training facility, so it was very easy to go from the courts to the room. Everyone is very nice and helpful. So I was really -- oh, yeah, and then I met Rafa. So that was really cool (smiling)."
On Kiki Bertens's story, she added: "For someone to do something that someone's never done before is very exciting, but also, at the same time, I think that's something she should be very proud about herself. Yeah, I mean, for me, I think we all sort of think about it, you know, in the back of our minds, like, we want to do things that no one else has ever done. So I think for her to be in the position that she is right now is something that she can be very happy about and her family can be very happy about."
On her different approach to 2018 US Open than 2019 Australian Open, Osaka added: "The US Open, no (smiling). The US Open mainly because I lost three matches in a row before that. Honestly, I just wanted to play well. Maybe get to the quarters, you know. Just have a good time (smiling). But then I ended up winning. But actually, in Australia, I was, like, I was the -- the goal was to win. That was what I was waking up every day thinking. You know, like the walk through the tunnel, like, you see the two trophies. I would kind of tap that, the woman's trophy side. In the Australian Open, my mindset was very different from the US Open. For me here, I'm trying to emulate the same mindset. I don't want to be here thinking I want to get to the quarters. Of course, I have never been that far here before, but my end goal is to win, of course."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2K4ihuJ
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