“If I don’t go beyond a certain ranking, I don’t see myself continuing for long” – Osaka

The Japanese had returned to competition at the beginning of 2024, saying she felt capable of winning new Grand Slam titles

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Mathieu Canac

December 30, 2024

“I think I can win a Grand Slam title this year (2024).”

In January 2024, back on the circuit after a 15-month break to preserve her mental health and then become a mother, Naomi Osaka did not want to return just to make up the numbers. She had clearly displayed her high ambitions, that of a former world No 1 who had already won four Grand Slam titles.

Unranked at the time of her return and 759th in the world rankings after the Australian tour, she finished the year as the world No 58. Good progress, but not enough in her eyes. Not least because she has not done better than reaching just two quarter-finals on the WTA Tour – in Doha and ‘s-Hertogenbosch – and has not gone beyond the second round in a major.

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I don’t think I’m the type of player who would go on forever (on the tour without great results)

If results don’t improve for Osaka, she may well bow out. For good, this time.

“I don’t think I’m the type of player who would go on forever (on the tour without great results),” she said on Sunday, as reported by the Associated Press, ahead of the Auckland tournament where she reached the second round on Monday.

“I have a lot of respect for all the players on the tour, but at the stage of my life I’m at right now, if I don’t go above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself continuing to play for a long time,” added the Japanese. “I’d rather spend time with my daughter if I don’t get to where I think I need to be, where I feel capable of going.”

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has been able to take the positives out of the last twelve months.

“I think 2024 has made me more humble, and I feel like I’ve grown a lot as well,” she added. “I worked much harder than I have in the past, like never before. So it was painful that I didn’t get the results I wanted, but I’ve matured, learned, and I’m full of motivation for this year (2025).”

Positives in 2024: hard work, more maturity, great victories and the battle against Świątek

Although she has struggled to string together high-level matches, Osaka still won several convincing matches last year. She beat six members of the top 20, including world No 10, Jeļena Ostapenko, who was crushed 6-3, 6-2 in 1 hour and 4 minutes in the first round of the US Open.

In Grand Slams, she fell to Caroline Garcia in the first round of the Australian Open, then in the second round at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. Respectively against Iga Swiatek, Emma Navarro and Karolína Muchová.

And, in Paris, she pushed two-time defending champion Swiatek all the way in a 7-6, 1-6, 7-5 epic across 2 hours and 57 minutes. One of the most breathless and intense duels of the season.

“I played very good matches,” Osaka takes note to remember. “People still talk to me about the one against Iga. I’m very happy that I was able to give people memories.”

Even though I was injured in Beijing, I’m quite optimistic about the outcome that this match (against Coco Gauff) could have had

While she seemed to be gaining momentum towards the end of 2024, the Japanese was stopped in her tracks in Beijing – her first tournament with her new coach, Patrick Mouratoglou – where she had to throw in the towel against Coco Gauff at one set apiece, after a high-level tussle against the eventual champion, who also won the Masters a few weeks later.

“Even though I was injured in Beijing, which was my last competition (in 2024), I’m quite optimistic about the outcome that this meeting could have had,” said the former Wim Fissette protégé. “I’m looking forward to playing hard court again.”