#Naomi Osaka on returning to the US Open amid the coronavirus pandemic

No one is itching to hit the court harder at this year’s US Open than Naomi Osaka.

With the fanless tournament set to get under way later this month in Queens, the 22-year-old tennis sensation is eager to play after the coronavirus pandemic halted the wide world of sports for much of the year.

“I just want to play,” Osaka tells The Post. “It’s been so long and I miss the feeling of working through tough matches and figuring out how to come out on top. It’s a feeling that I’ve been used to but now that I’ve had this break, I appreciate it even more.”

Though this year’s Open will be drastically different than in years past — as frequent testing and extra cleaning will be among the numerous precautions — the 2018 US Open champ says she and her team are “preparing as if it was any other US Open tournament.”

“My training has been consistent and hard, we’ve just had to get creative because gyms and other facilities where I normally train are closed,” she explains.

For Osaka, whose training regimen consists of an hour warm-up, followed by an hour and a half of hitting, plus two hours in the gym after a break, this year’s Open also holds a significant meaning.

As a BODYARMOR ambassador, she and the brand are teaming up in a new way, committing to the refurbishment of tennis court facilities in Jamaica, Queens, that she grew up playing on.

“This project definitely means a lot to me. Giving back is so important because I know how lucky I’ve been and how much has been sacrificed to ensure my success,” Osaka says. “I want to make sure that other kids who dream of winning the open have access to nice courts so that maybe one day, I get to see them on the other side of the court at the US Open.”

Additionally, BODYARMOR LYTE will also serve as the official sports drink of the US Open Championships.

“I’m really grateful that Bodyarmor are supporting this initiative – we both have close ties to Queens so it’s special for all of us,” she says.

Though Osaka’s focus is on the Open, she’s also regularly updating fans on her everyday happenings via Instagram. And while most of her 1.1 million followers respond positively to her posts, there are the occasional critics.

“There will always be trolls but I usually take their negativity with a grain of salt because people tend to act differently when they have the protection of a screen and keyboard versus when they’re in person,” Osaka says. “I usually respond with humor because you can’t take things personally. There will always be people who try to bring you down but you just have to keep your chin up and stay focused.”