Osaka says she is near her best form but has thought about retiring

Centre · 1Former world number one Naomi Osaka said on Sunday 25 October that she was close to rediscovering the form that brought her four Grand Slam titles, while acknowledging she had thought about retirement. 1 Centre · 2Osaka, 29 and ranked 19th in the world, spoke to reporters in Tokyo ahead of the Pan Pacific Open, where she is seventh seed and opens against Italy's Jasmine Paolini. 2 1 Centre · 2She said she sometimes looks to her future and wonders how long she will play, and that she would not ignore her daughter if the child said she did not want her to travel as much. 1 2

Centre · 1AFP, in the copy carried by Gulf News, quoted her saying becoming a mother had reshaped her priorities: "My daughter is my biggest priority", and that she is not "part-timing it" but cannot devote her entire day to tennis; she is "figuring out little by little" how to juggle playing and motherhood. 2 Centre · 2On her form, Osaka said "I genuinely don't feel like I'm that far off", adding that she had built "a pretty solid base"; AFP also quoted her as "optimistic for next year". 1 2 Centre · 1CNA noted signs of improvement this season: a Wimbledon quarter-final after beating top seed Aryna Sabalenka, last-16 runs at the French Open and US Open, a Washington semi-final and a Toronto quarter-final. 1

Centre · 2Osaka took 15 months away after the birth of her daughter Shai, and also stepped away in 2021 to prioritise her mental health. 2 1 Centre · 1She also backed Coco Gauff, the world number five, who said she received an "insane" amount of racist abuse online at the China Open, saying "nobody should have to go through that". Osaka said the WTA's efforts against online abuse did not "ever seem to fully work all the way" and that she stays off social media herself. 2 Centre · 2World number one Elena Rybakina and the Philippines' Alexandra Eala are also in the Tokyo field. 2 1