Osaka may retire at her daughter’s request — BBC Sport

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who is preparing for the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, said she may retire if her three-year-old daughter Shai asks her to travel less. BBC Sport reports.

The 29-year-old Osaka said she often thinks about her future in tennis. According to her, her daughter is her top priority, so she will not ignore her wishes. The tennis player added that she tries to devote as much energy as possible to the sport, but her day is no longer made up only of tennis.

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Osaka believes she is already close to the level that allowed her to win four Grand Slam titles. She won the US Open and the Australian Open twice between 2018 and 2021, and also topped the world rankings.

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In 2021, the athlete took a break from her career to focus on her mental health. After becoming pregnant, Osaka did not play for another 15 months and returned to the court in 2023 after the birth of her daughter.

Ranking and season results

Osaka is currently ranked 19th in the world and is the seventh seed at the tournament in Tokyo. In the first round, she will play Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.

This year, the Japanese player reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, where she defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka on her way to that stage, and before that became a finalist at the grass-court tournament in Bad Homburg. She also reached the fourth round of the French Open and US Open, the semifinals in Washington and the quarterfinals in Toronto. At the US Open, Osaka lost to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.