After her early exit in Abu Dhabi, Naomi Osaka is trying not to feel "like a failure". Her words, reported by AFP, are an indication of how difficult things are for the Japanese tennis player, former world number one (2019), who has yet to regain her form and power after the birth of her child and a 15-month break from competition.

On Tuesday, she was beaten 7-5 6-0 by former world number seven Danielle Collins in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open. "I use some pretty harsh words about myself. I know the word, but when I say it, it sounds really bad. I felt like a bit of a 'failure'. But I don't want to be too harsh," Osaka said after her straight-sets defeat in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The Japanese star returned to action in January after taking 15 months off to welcome her first child, Shai. Her return has been difficult. She has lost three of her four matches so far this season. On Tuesday, she also lost her doubles match in straight sets alongside Ons Jabeur, although she said that the performance helped her shake off the disappointment. 

"I'm less confident, but I'm not too unconfident to think that I can't play really good tennis," said the four-time Grand Slam winner. "I think I just need to get through a really tough match and then realise it's going to happen a few times." 

The first set against Collins was even with both players serving well. However, Naomi Osaka struggled to convert any of her six break point opportunities in the second set, which she lost to the American in one hour and 23 minutes.

"Everyone around me tells me I'm playing well. I don't think I'm playing badly," she continued. "I just have to believe in myself more. I think when I got broken my belief went down a lot."

Osaka has yet to regain the momentum and performance she enjoyed in recent years when she was the WTA number one. The fifteen-month break for the birth of her child seems to have had an impact on her ability to return to her former level immediately upon her return. "I wanted to come back strong and ready to play," she commented upon her return, but it's proving to be harder than she expected.

She lost in the second round in Brisbane and in the first round of the Australian Open, first to Karolina Pliskova and then to Caroline Garcia. Osaka has said that she did not come back to compete to aim low. After this setback in Abu Dhabi, Osaka will head to Doha for the Qatar Open and she says that she "might have to play in Dubai", but she is still not sure.

Meanwhile, Collins improved her head-to-head record against Osaka to 2-3. She will meet top seed Elena Rybakina in the second round. Collins, 30, has announced that this will be her final season on the circuit. She has overcome huge challenges in the first five weeks of 2024. She beat three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open. 

She then lost to world number one Iga Swiatek in the second round. In Abu Dhabi, she will face two other Grand Slam winners in Osaka and the 2022 Wimbledon winner Yelena Rybakina. She said: "I needed an end date and this gives my family and friends the opportunity to come and support me in a couple of final tournaments. I think it will be really special," the Florida native told AFP.