Osaka warned about her future: “If I don’t improve the ranking, I don’t see myself playing much longer”

Naomi Osaja (58th in the world ranking) It is one of the great attractions of the women’s circuit. The former world number one, winner of four Grand Slam tournaments (two Australian Open and two US Open) returned to competition in 2024 and spoke in the last few hours about her future.

In an exclusive interview with StuffOsaka stated: “I have a lot of respect for all the players on the circuit, but at the point in my life I am at right now, If I’m not above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself playing for much longer. I prefer to spend time with my daughter if I am not where I think I should be and where I feel I can be.“.

“I’ve been playing tennis since I was three years old and I owe a big part of that to my parents, but I never really saw my life doing anything else. Then, when I sat down and had the opportunity to do other things, I realized that I’d rather be playing tennis. It was one of those moments when you realize they forced you to do something, but you actually love it,” he added, referring to his relationship with the sport.

On the other hand, he referred to what he experienced last season: “2024 was a humbling experience, but I also felt like I grew a lot. I worked harder than I had ever worked before.. It was very painful not to get the results I wanted, but I feel like I am growing and learning, and I am very excited for this year. “People still talk to me about my match against Swiatek at Roland Garros.”

Osaka is preparing to compete at the WTA Auckland 2025, where she will debut in the first round against Lina Glushko.