"I don´t think I´m the type of player that would hang around": Naomi Osaka hints at potential retirement if tennis form doesn't improve

Former world number one Naomi Osaka has stated that she will not ‘hang around’ if she does not manage to return to her very best soon. The 27-year-old was once regarded as one of the world's best women’s tennis players in the singles category.

Osaka recently returned to the court after spending more than 12 months on the sidelines due to pregnancy. However, she struggled to produce the goods on the court in the current season, winning just 20 out of 37 matches and suffering 17 defeats in the process.

Osaka has been recently quoted in a report by the English media outlet Daily Mail, in which she talked about her plans from now on. The Osaka-born hinted that she could hang up her racket if results do not improve in the near future. The former world number one stated that she is not the kind of player who would ‘hang around’ in the hope of getting better results. She stated that she would not continue playing after a while if she is ‘not above’ certain rankings. She also stated that despite not getting the results she was looking for in 2024, she has grown up as a person.

"I don´t think I´m the type of player that would hang around," said Osaka. "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. I think 2024 humbled me, but I also feel like I grew a lot. 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 (2025).