'I Don’t See Myself Playing' - Naomi Osaka Says Won't Hang Around if Not Above Certain Ranking

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka hinted at an early retirement, saying she is not the type that would "hang around" in tennis if she is not above a certain ranking and the results didn't go her way.

The 27-year-old Japanese player is set to play her first match since she suffered a back injury in the China Open earlier this year in October at the ASB tennis classic in Auckland on Monday (December 30).

Having had a 22-17 win-loss singles record in 2024, Osaka told a pre-tournament news conference in Auckland on Sunday (December 29) that she was "humbled" by her form in 2024 in which she resumed her professional career after a 15-month break for the birth of her first child.

Osaka had reached as far as the quarter-finals at Doha and at s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. The former world number one, now ranked 58th, has struggled for consistency since her return, failing to make it past the second round at any of the four grand slams last year.

The Japanese player said she is at that point of the career where she would not be playing if not under a certain rank. "I don't think I'm the type of player that would hang around. I have a lot of respect for all the players on tour," Osaka was quoted as saying by AP News.

"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."

However, Osaka, who won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 as well as the US Open in 2018 and 2020, feels reinvigorated and believes she can return to an elite level in 2025, as she prepares for another tilt at the Melbourne slam.

"I think 2024 humbled me, but I think I also grew a lot," she told reporters. "I worked way harder than I ever have before and it was very painful to not get the results I wanted, but I feel like I am growing and learning.

"I'm really excited for this year. I played some really good matches in 2024. What keeps me going in tennis is, I guess, stepping on the court and learning something new every day. Obviously I'm really competitive, I love to win tournaments, to win matches, to play the best players in the world and see what I can achieve."