Naomi Osaka has never been shy about her aspirations to return to the top of the sport that she once dominated. The four-time major champion, who defeated Lina Glushko 6-4, 6-4 in her first match of the season on Monday in Auckland, says she won’t accept anything but the best from herself as she commences her second season after returning from maternity leave in 2024.
“I don’t think I’m the type of player that would hang around,” 27-year-old Osaka told reporters, according to the AP, ahead of her appearance at the ASB Classic. “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.”
Osaka rose in the rankings in 2024, from outside the Top 800 to her current perch at 57, and feels like the season was a good step in the right direction, even if she didn’t achieve the type of success she is used to.
The power from Osaka 💪@naomiosaka | #ASBClassic25 pic.twitter.com/ql0RlUlQpw
— wta (@WTA) December 30, 2024
“I think 2024 humbled me, but I also feel like I grew a lot,” she said. “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.”
Seventh-seeded Osaka will face Austria’s Julia Grabher in second-round action at Auckland. Osaka fired seven aces and won 77 percent of her first serve points to earn her victory in 85 minutes.
