Osaka says Indian Wells feels like a homecoming

Naomi Osaka said she feels right at home in Indian Wells, where she won her first WTA title.

After missing last year's event while on maternity leave, the Japanese player was overjoyed to be back at Indian Wells with her baby daughter.

"It's nice to get in the car and be able to drive here," Osaka, who lives in Beverly Hills, told reporters.

"And I brought my daughter, so coming back home and seeing her is new but it's nice. It does feel a little bit like home."

Following her triumph in Indian Wells in 2018, Osaka went on to win the U.S. Open later that year, establishing herself as one of the world's best-known and highest-paid athletes.

The four-time major winner gave birth to her daughter Shai in July, and after falling in the first rounds of this year's Australian and Abu Dhabi Opens, she advanced to the quarterfinals in Doha.

The 26-year-old admitted to being a "perfectionist," but she is trying not to be too hard on herself as she adjusts to life after maternity break.

"I've had dreams of what I want to achieve and obviously losing in the first round of the Australian Open wasn't in my dreams, but I have to be really realistic and kind to myself," she said.

"When I was in Doha and I got to the quarters, I was really happy. I would have loved to go further but I'm in the top 200 now and I'm actually really excited about that."

The former world number one said she doesn't mind being unseeded at the WTA 1000 event, where seeded players receive a first-round bye.

"When I won Indian Wells (in 2018) I wasn't seeded," she said.

"It's better for me to play the seven matches because I want to know what it's like to potentially win a fifth Grand Slam. This is really great practice for me and hopefully I'll get through my first match and my second match."

Osaka will face Italian qualifier Sara Errani in the first round on Thursday.

SportsLigue