“Hopefully to win another Slam”: Naomi Osaka sets clear comeback target after Australian Open injury

Naomi Osaka’s return to the Australian Open earlier this year carried familiar stakes. A four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, she walked back into Rod Laver Arena with the expectations that have followed her since her breakthrough in 2018. But this time, the narrative was not only about titles.

The 28-year-old player owns seven WTA singles titles, including two Australian Opens and two US Opens. She spent 25 weeks at world No. 1 beginning in January 2019, becoming the first Asian player to top the WTA rankings. Her career prize money sits near $25 million, while her commercial profile has at times made her the highest-paid female athlete in the world.

Her latest Melbourne campaign ended prematurely. An abdominal injury forced her to withdraw ahead of her third-round match, a reminder that comebacks rarely follow a linear path. Yet Osaka was clear that her ambition has not diminished. The goal remains specific and measurable. “Hopefully to win another Slam,” she mentioned in an interview with Hypebeast. “That would be a very big goal I’d love to set for myself, which I think is possible. It just sucks that I got injured in Australia.”

That statement framed the season ahead. Osaka does not speak in abstractions when it comes to legacy or goals. A fifth major title would move her into a different historical tier and reinforce her place among the defining players of her generation.

Osaka’s belief that another major is “possible” is not unfounded. She has previously shown the capacity to peak on hard courts, particularly in Melbourne and New York, where her aggressive baseline game and first-strike tennis have thrived under pressure. Her 2018 and 2020 US Open titles, along with the Australian Open victories in 2019 and 2021, established her as one of the most formidable players on the biggest stages.

What has shifted is the context around her pursuit. Since stepping away from competition in 2021 to address mental health and later becoming a mother in 2023, Osaka has recalibrated her expectations. The hunger to compete remains, but the metrics of success have evolved.

“When I was younger, success meant winning every match or tournament. Now it’s just being healthy, being able to play matches, seeing my daughter smile. It definitely changes based on your mindset or maybe your age, too. Or the things you’ve been through.”

That recalibration does not signal lowered ambition. Rather, it reflects a broader understanding of longevity in a sport where physical and emotional demands intersect. Osaka’s willingness to articulate that shift marks a departure from the version of herself that once measured value almost exclusively through trophies.

Osaka’s career has not been defined solely by results. In 2021, her withdrawal from the French Open over mandatory media obligations triggered a wider debate about mental health in elite sport. The backlash was immediate, but so too was the shift in conversation across tennis.

Looking back, she described her connection to the game in candid terms. “I had a love-hate relationship with the sport just because I feel like I’ve been through so much in such a short amount of time. I’m also very grateful for everything that the sport has provided me.”

That duality remains part of her public identity. Osaka has resisted being confined to a single role, whether as champion, advocate, or commercial figure. The tension between expectation and autonomy has shaped much of her trajectory.

Motherhood has added another dimension. It has also sharpened her sense of time and priority. “It’s made me realize that some things that I thought were super important before aren’t as important or hold as much meaning as I once thought. I also realize now that we don’t live forever and there are precious moments in time that we have to treasure.”

Osaka’s ambitions are informed by the players who shaped the era she entered. She credits the Williams sisters with redefining what dominance and representation look like in modern tennis. “Everyone’s been inspired by the Williams sisters. Whether they say it or not, they’ve definitely changed the game a lot."

She had the opportunity to compete against both Serena and Venus, experiences that helped define her early career. The 2018 US Open final victory over Serena remains one of the most consequential matches of her career, both competitively and culturally. “Looking back, there’s a few players I looked up to who I wish I could have played against, like Li Na or [Elena] Dementieva. I also kind of liked the drama with Janković.”

Beyond the Williams legacy, Osaka also pointed to Novak Djokovic as a model for the modern professional. “I feel like that also has to do with Djokovic, to be honest. He’s kind of set a precedent on understanding your body and putting in work to do all the recovery,” the four-time major champion added. “He’s amazing. He just went to the Australian Open finals and he’s still here fighting and winning.”