Osaka says she is near the top despite considering retirement

Former world number one Naomi Osaka said she is getting close to the form that brought her four Grand Slam titles. However, she also said she has been thinking about retiring from tennis and often wonders how much longer she will play.

The 29-year-old Japanese player stayed away from tennis for 15 months after the birth of her daughter and returned in 2024. Next week she will compete at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo as the seventh seed.

On Sunday, Osaka told reporters that sometimes she looks ahead to her future and thinks about how much longer she will keep playing. She also said she will not ignore it if her daughter asks her to travel less.

Ranked 19th in the world, Osaka has shown signs this season that she is returning to her best. At Wimbledon she beat top seed Aryna Sabalenka to reach the quarter-finals. At the French Open and the US Open she advanced to the round of 16.

Asked about the chance of entering the title race again, Osaka said she feels she is not really that far away. She said she is excited to see that she has built a solid base and can keep learning and going further at tournaments.

Osaka will face Italy's Jasmine Paolini in her first match in Tokyo. World number one Elena Rybakina and Alex Eala of the Philippines are also among the notable names in the tournament.