Naomi Osaka said she had felt “ungrateful” at times over the last year for not fully appreciating her life as one of the world’s top tennis players.

The world No. 2 sealed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Coco Gauff of the US at the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, her first event outside the Olympics since withdrawing from the French Open in May.

Osaka shed tears and briefly left a news conference on Monday and returned to the theme on Wednesday.

“I was wondering why was I so affected, I guess, like what made me not want to do media,” the Japanese said.

“I’m wondering if I was scared.

“So then I was thinking me waking up every day, for me, I should feel like I’m winning. Like, the choice to go out there and play, that itself is an accomplishment.

“I’m not sure when along the way I started desensitising that. Like it started not being like an accomplishment for me. So I felt like I was very ungrateful on that fact.”