"You can't be a part-time player in your early to mid/late 20's today" - Patrick McEnroe believes Osaka lacks Serena Williams' ability to retain star power without playing

Patrick McEnroe recently opined that Naomi Osaka should play tennis more regularly given she lacks Serena Williams' ability to maintain her star power without playing for long periods.

Osaka has not been seen in action since September last year when she competed at the Toray Pan Pacific Ocean. The Japanese only featured in 11 tournaments last year, playing a total of 26 matches out of which she only won 15. As a result, the four-time Major champion now finds herself ranked No. 47 in the world.

She stayed away from tennis for large parts of last season due to injuries as well as personal reasons. More recently, Naomi Osaka pulled out of the 2023 Australian Open.

In 2021, the Japanese ace revealed that she has been suffering from depression since 2018, which saw her sit out of numerous events that year too.

As such, speaking to Peter Bodo of Tennis.com, Patrick McEnroe stated that Osaka cannot afford to sit out for long periods as frequently as she does.

"You can’t be a part-time player in your early to mid or even late 20's today. Naomi is not Serena. She (Williams) is one of a kind with a unique ability, and the confidence to do it," McEnroe said. “There’s no doubt that [Osaka] was born to play tennis. You can hear it in the sound of how she hits the ball."