Naomi Osaka’s next big goal? Completing the Career Grand Slam

Naomi Osaka is setting high goals for the second phase of her career, following her maternity break in 2023. The four-time Grand Slam champion has admitted she is chasing a Career Grand Slam, which requires winning the French Open and Wimbledon.

Currently ranked World No. 57, Osaka has been working her way back up the WTA rankings. Her struggles began in 2021, when her form declined, leading to a ranking drop and a break from tennis due to mental health challenges. In 2023, she announced the birth of her daughter, Shai, with the goal of making a strong comeback in 2024.

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Starting the year outside the Top 800, Osaka has climbed back to No. 57 with a series of solid performances. She has played two tournaments so far, posting a 6-2 record, although both of her losses came via retirement due to injury—first against Clara Tauson in the ASB Classic final (Osaka led 6-4 before retiring), and then in the Australian Open third round against Belinda Bencic (6-7, ret.).

Osaka chasing history: Winning Wimbledon & Roland Garros on her radar

While injuries have slowed her progress, Osaka has looked increasingly sharp when on court. With four Grand Slam titles to her name, there is no doubt she has the ability to beat the best in the world. However, her greatest success has come on hard courts, and she now aims to break that pattern by conquering other surfaces to achieve a Career Grand Slam.

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"I have a lot of goals going forward. For as long as I can play, I really want to win Wimbledon and Roland Garros (the French Open) and get a career Grand Slam," Osaka said. "It’s interesting when I hear from an outside perspective because, of course, all of the achievements (I’ve had so far) are great, but I always feel like there’s a lot more to do."

So far, her results at Roland Garros and Wimbledon have been far from stellar, as she has never progressed past the third round at either event. In contrast, she has won two titles at the Australian Open and two at the US Open between 2018 and 2021.

Roland Garros 2024 – Osaka was one point away from eliminating Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion.

The Venus Williams influence

Indian Wells recently announced a wild card for seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams. Osaka has often cited Venus and Serena Williams as her biggest inspirations while growing up, and she expressed excitement at the chance to compete alongside the legendary American.

"She’s probably the reason why I started playing. It makes me really excited to go to the tournament and see her, and I feel like she probably doesn’t know how many people she’s inspired because even she inspired me – and through me, there’s probably other kids that are inspired. So it keeps the legacy going."

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However, Osaka won’t be getting the reunion she hoped for. Just hours after the Indian Wells wild card announcement, Williams revealed she would not be playing in the tournament. Speaking at an event in Denmark, the former World No. 1 explained that she was unaware of the invitation. "I'm going to be overseas. I'm not going to be [there]," Williams said. "I'm not playing. I found out about the wild card when you guys did. Just saying."

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