Naomi Osaka returned to the court about a year ago after 517 days. The Japanese became a mother to little Shai and obviously stopped for her first pregnancy. The four-time Slam champion has always fought for big goals and has no intention of staying around the Tour without having the opportunity to compete to add more Majors to her collection and occupy the most important positions in the WTA ranking.
Osaka chose Auckland to kick off the season and in her debut she beat Lina Glushko with a double 6-4. Her next rival will be world number 470 Julia Grabher.
However, the Japanese player made it clear that she won't play for a long time if she doesn't reach a certain ranking
"I have a lot of respect for all the players on Tour, but at the point in my life where I am, if I don't reach a certain ranking, I don't see myself playing for a long time. 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," explainedOsaka at the press conference.
"I think 2024 has humbled me, but I also feel like I've grown a lot. I've worked harder than I ever have. So it's been painful not to achieve the results I wanted, but I feel like I'm growing and learning and I'm excited about the year ahead. I've had some really good matches.
People still talk about the one against Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, so I'm happy that I was able to give them some memories as well. Even though I got injured in Beijing, my last tournament, I feel pretty optimistic about how that match would have turned out and I'm excited to get back on hard courts," she added.
What future does the four-time Grand Slam champion have in front of her? I remain convinced that she is still an extraordinary tennis player, who just needs to regain confidence in herself and in her tennis.
It is obvious that when she becomes a mother, her priorities change. This is why her future out of the court cannot be ruled out, perhaps as a fashion ambassador or - why not - a future tennis coach. But - regardless - I remain firm in believing that she will return to the top of the WTA Tour.
