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Osaka said at the U.S. Open earlier this month that she would
take a break from the game to concentrate on her mental health
following a third round defeat by Leylah Fernandez.
The former world number one, who pulled out of next month's BNP
Paribas Open in Indian Wells, has struggled for form since she
withdrew from the French Open in May following a row with
tournament officials over required media appearances, which she
said had a negative impact on her.
But the 23-year-old Japanese player said on HBO's 'The Shop'
that she still loved the sport and was already looking to get
back to the court.
"I know I'm going to play again, probably soon because I kind of
have that itch again," she said.
"But it wouldn't really matter to me if I won or lost.
"I'd just have the joy of being back on the court."
Osaka, who has slipped to seventh in the world rankings, said
tough matches had begun to take their toll on her and she needed
the break to refresh.
"I used to love the competition and just being competitive. If I
were to play a long match, the longer it was the more fun it was
for me," she said.
"Then I just started to feel -- recently -- the longer it was
the more stressed out I became. But I just needed a break to go
within myself."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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