Naomi Osaka said she was trying not to feel "like a failure" after her comeback hit another roadblock with a 7-5, 6-0 defeat to former world No. 7 Danielle Collins in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday.
"I say some pretty harsh words about myself. I know the word, but if I say it, it sounds really bad. I felt a little like a 'failure,' but I don't want to be too harsh," Osaka said after her straight sets defeat.
The Japanese star returned last month from a 15-month absence from the tour, during which she gave birth to her first child, Shai, but has been handed some tricky draws and has lost three of her four matches so far this campaign.
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