Naomi Osaka says she wants to win “eight more” Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold at Roland-Garros

You can’t accuse Naomi Osaka of playing things down as she plans for life on the tennis circuit after pregnancy.

The four-time Grand Slam winner is due to give birth to her first child this summer – in June or July – but has already said she wants to return in time for the 2024 Australian Open.

And in an interview with former Japanese star Shuzo Matsuoka on Japanese TV, the 25-year-old said she was highly motivated to return and has major goals, lots of them.

“I really want to play again,” she said. “I found out (she was pregnant) and then I was like, OK, I’m definitely going to play better and be a better player after this. “For me it just made me want to try harder and be the best that I can be.”

“Eight more Grand Slams and French Olympics”

Asked by Matsuoka if coming back six months after childbirth was too soon, she said no, it meant she would have six months to prepare.

Asked how many Grand Slams she wants to win, Osaka replied without hesitation: “Eight.” When asked if she meant eight more (as opposed to eight in total), she nodded her head.

And the immediate motivation, it seems, is the Olympics, which will be played at Roland-Garros in 2024.

“French Olympics,” she said. “I want to try to win the Olympics next year. It makes me really excited to return to the sport.”

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