Naomi Osaka Returns to the US Open as a Mother and Player
Listen to the story
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has said that her main job now is being a mother, while professional tennis is her side job.
Osaka is expected to play at the US Open, one of the biggest events in Grand Slam tennis. The singles tournament for men and women begins on 31 August.
Many fans and experts hope that Osaka will make a full comeback and return to the excellent form she showed earlier in her career.
At the same tournament, Japan's top male player, Shimabukuro Sho, will also compete. He is currently the highest-ranked Japanese man in professional tennis.
Shimabukuro will face a player who is seeded 26th in his first-round match. Seeded players are usually considered stronger and more likely to win.
Speaking before the tournament, Shimabukuro said he wants to achieve a breakthrough at this event and move further up in the rankings. He hopes a strong performance here will help his career.
The US Open is one of four Grand Slam tournaments held every year, and it attracts many of the world's best players, including both Osaka and Shimabukuro this year.
Vocabulary7 words
- professional
- doing something as a paid job, not just for fun
- Grand Slam
- one of the four biggest tennis tournaments in the world
- comeback
- a return to success after a difficult time
- seeded
- given a rank in a competition based on skill
- breakthrough
- a big success after trying hard
- rankings
- a list showing who is best in a sport
- first-round
- the very first match in a competition
Quiz
Answer key
1. Her side job 2. A full comeback to top form 3. The 26th seed
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has said that her main job now is being a _____.
She called professional tennis her _____ job.
Osaka is expected to play at the US _____, one of the biggest events in tennis.
The singles tournament for men and women begins on _____ August.
Many fans hope Osaka will make a full _____ and return to great form.
Japan's top male player, Shimabukuro Sho, will also _____ at the tournament.
He is currently the highest-ranked Japanese man in professional _____.
Shimabukuro will face a player who is _____ 26th in his first-round match.
He said he wants to achieve a _____ at this event.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Osaka now calls motherhood her main job?
- What does a strong 'comeback' usually mean for a professional athlete?
- How important is a first-round match against a high seed for a player's career?
- Do you think balancing family and professional sport is difficult? Why?