The key facts

  • Osaka: if her daughter asks her not to travel so much, she is “not the kind of person who would ignore that”
  • After the birth of her daughter Shai, the Japanese player missed 15 months and returned in 2023
  • Osaka voiced support for Gauff, who was subjected to racist abuse at the China Open

Osaka doubts continuing her career

Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka said on Sunday that she has doubts about her tennis future,, saying she would consider retiring if her three-year-old daughter asked her to. The four-time Grand Slam champion is in Tokyo, where she will compete at this week's Pan Pacific Open, and admitted that motherhood has changed her priorities.

Daughter is the main priority

“Sometimes I look at my future and often think about how much longer I will play. Because if my daughter says she doesn't want me to travel so much, I'm not the kind of person who would ignore that,” AFP quoted Osaka as saying. After the birth of her daughter Shai, she missed 15 months and returned to the tour in 2023. Earlier, in 2021, Osaka had already stepped away from tennis to focus on her mental health. “My daughter is my main priority. I try to put as much energy into tennis as I can,” the athlete added, noting that with age her “mindset has changed a lot” and that she is “gradually figuring out” how to combine the roles of player and mother.

Support for Gauff and criticism of WTA measures

Osaka also voiced support for American Coco Gauff, who said that she received an “insane” amount of racist abuse online at this month's China Open. World No. 5 Gauff described the experience as “exhausting.” Osaka, whose mother is Japanese and whose father is from Haiti, said that “no one should have to go through that,” adding that she herself has “gotten used to” such things over her career. According to her, the WTA's efforts to combat abuse on social media “never fully work,” and her own response is to barely visit social media, even though it is “the best way to connect with fans.”

Tournament in Tokyo

At the Tokyo tournament, Osaka is seeded seventh and will face Italian Jasmine Paolini in the first round. Also competing are world No. 1 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and Filipina Alexandra Eala. Osaka said that, in her feeling, she is “not far” from returning to her best form and is “optimistic about next year.” For readers, the importance of her statements lies in the fact that they concern the near-term plans of one of the most famous tennis players: if her daughter asks her to travel less, Osaka is ready to consider retiring, and her words about social media call into question the effectiveness of the WTA's measures against abuse — a problem that also affects other players on the tour.