Naomi Osaka Hints At Break From Tennis In Case Of Prolonged Struggles
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Naomi Osaka might take a break from tennis if she doesn't start winning the way she would want to.
The former WTA World No. 1 player returned to the tennis courts in 2024 after giving birth to her daughter Shai. Osaka returned a new player, motivated to do well, especially to show her daughter what she's capable of.
According to many analysts and experts, her first season back could be considered a great success, given that she spent a lot of time away from the courts also before her pregnancy.
Osaka won some important matches she played in a couple of quarter-finals, and overall, impressed with her tennis. Of course, she struggled with consistency, which is why she never had a deep run that would guarantee her a position higher than her current World No. 58 place.
The Japanese player will start the 2025 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, and ahead of the new season, she spoke about her 2024 season, as per Associated Press.
The four-time major winner admitted that the 2024 season was a humbling experience for her, as she expected she could be a bit more successful on her return to the sport.
"I think 2024 humbled me, but I also feel like I grew a lot. I worked way harder than I've ever worked before. So in that, I guess it was very painful to not get the results I wanted, but I feel like I'm growing and learning and I am really excited for this year (2025)."
At the same time, Osaka is aware that she played some really good matches. One of those was her battle with Iga Swiatek at the Roland Garros, and another was her match against Coco Gauff at the China Open in Beijing.
"I played really good matches. People still talk to me about my Iga (Swiatek) match at the French Open (lost 7-6 1-6 7-5). So I´m glad that I was able to give people memories as well."
"Even though I got injured in Beijing, which was my last tournament, I feel pretty optimistic about how that match would have turned out (against Coco Gauff) and I am excited to play on hardcourt again."
Still, despite a relative success, Osaka admitted that if her comeback doesn't go the way she imagines it going, she would be open to taking time away from the sport to spend it with her daughter.
"I don´t think I'm the type of player that would hang around. I have a lot of respect for all the players on tour, but the point of my life that I´m at right now, if I´m not above a certain ranking, I don´t see myself playing for a while."
"I'd rather spend time with my daughter if I´m not where I think I should be and where I feel like I can be."
The 27-year-old player has been a vocal advocate for mental health, and she's also always been a player who wasn't afraid to take an unconventional approach to her tennis career, which is why this move wouldn't be that surprising.
