大坂なおみ、結果だけでなく「広い視野で」 復帰後の姿勢語る

【東京ＡＦＰ＝時事】女子テニス元世界ランキング１位で、四大大会（グランドスラム）通算４勝の大坂なおみは１１日、出産を経て今季から復帰した後は結果だけでなく「広い視野」で取り組んでいると話した。（写真は、女子テニスの国別対抗戦ビリー・ジーン・キング・カップ、予選ラウンド、日本対カザフスタンの記者会見に臨む大坂なおみ）
　１年３か月の産休から復帰後６大会に出場している大坂は、これまでベスト８が最高成績になっており、先月行われた直近のマイアミ・オープンでは３回戦でキャロリン・ガルシア（フランス）に敗れた。
　今週は１２日から東京・有明コロシアムで行われる国別対抗戦ビリー・ジーン・キング・カップ予選ラウンドのカザフスタン戦に日本代表として出場する。
　大会の会見に臨んだ大坂は、自身の状態については前向きに捉えていると話し、「復帰後はずっと良い選手と対戦してきた」と強調。「結果の面を見るのは本当に難しい」としつつ、「広い視野で見て、プレーの幅や、選手として学んでいる知識の幅を広げていこうとしている」と語った。
　また、２回戦の試合前に棄権した２０２２年９月の東レ・パンパシフィック・オープン以来となる東京でのプレーについては、ファンに「エキサイティング」なものを見せ、選手として成長した姿を披露したいと意欲を口にした。
　対戦相手のカザフスタンは、世界ランク４位のエレナ・ルバキナが不在。日本は大坂と日比野菜緒がシングルスを務め、ユリア・プチンツェワとアンナ・ダニリナと対戦する。
　日本対カザフスタンの勝者は、１１月にスペインで行われる決勝ラウンドに進出する。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/04/11-20:12）

Former world number one Naomi Osaka said Thursday that she was looking at a bigger picture and not just results since returning to tennis late last year after giving birth.
The four-time major winner has not gone beyond the quarter-finals in six tournaments since her 15-month maternity break, with her latest match a third-round defeat to France's Caroline Garcia at the Miami Open last month.
Osaka, whose world ranking has risen from 831 to 193 since her return, will play for Japan in their Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in Tokyo starting Friday.
The 26-year-old said she was encouraged by her form and had played really good players the entire comeback.
It's really tough to look at it results-wise, she said. But I have to look at it in a bigger picture and try to expand on my game and expand on the knowledge that I'm constantly learning as a player.
Osaka described her second-round win over Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in Miami as one of the better matches in my career, just in terms of execution.
Osaka is appearing at the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time since 2020, after being asked to play by team captain Ai Sugiyama.
She's just always felt very kind and genuine and I always really wanted to try, just to be better in team atmospheres as well, said Osaka.
It will be Osaka's first appearance in Tokyo since she withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open in September 2022 before her second-round match.
The tie will take place at Ariake Coliseum, where Osaka reached the third round of the Olympics in 2021. She has said she wants to represent Japan at the Paris Games this year.
Kazakhstan will be without world number four Elena Rybakina, who lost to American Danielle Collins in the Miami Open final.
Osaka and Nao Hibino are Japan's singles representatives and will take on Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva and Anna Dalinina.
The winners will advance to November's finals in Spain.
Osaka said she wanted to show the Tokyo fans something really exciting to demonstrate how she has matured as a player.
When I was younger, I tried a lot to hit a lot of crazy shots -- now I'm a little bit more strategic, she said.
I hope that it's fun for everyone to watch, but I'm not going to do anything crazy.