Excited Osaka says 'deep love' of tennis keeps her going

The Japanese 27-year-old has struggled for consistency since returning to the court in January this year after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. Her best results since then have been two quarter-final appearances, which Osaka called "very painful". "I think 2024 humbled me, but I think I also grew a lot," she said at the Auckland Classic, which she is using as a springboard to the Australian Open Grand Slam -- a tournament she won in 2019 and 2021. "I worked way harder than I ever...