Naomi Osaka hinted at retirement once again after her Miami Open second-round defeat. The former world No. 1 lost to Talia Gibson, 5-7 4-6. The four-time Grand Slam winner blew two break points early in the match. Then in the second set, she dropped the opening two games. Gibson managed to get a lead of a set and a break, sealing her win eventually.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Osaka stated that if she were to lose in the first round, she would rather retire than continue playing on the Tour.
Also Read: ‘Carlos Alcaraz has more arsenal’: Joao Fonseca makes bombshell Jannik Sinner comparison
“For me, like I said last year, I’m not going to stay on the Tour if I’m losing in the first round. I’d rather just be a great mom and be there for my daughter. Because for me, I want to win titles and I want to be the best player I can, but if I have to sacrifice having a lot of time with my daughter, I’d rather not do it,” she said.
Revealing her upcoming plans, she said, “I’m not going to play Charleston. I hope I can play Madrid, Rome and then obviously the French Open.”
Osaka was ranked No. 1 in the world for 25 weeks, starting in January 2019. She became the first Asian player to hold the top singles ranking.
During her career, she has won 7 singles titles, including 4 Grand Slams (2 Australian Open titles and the US Open). She is also the first Japanese player to clinch a Grand Slam singles title.
She returned to the tour in 2024, 15 months after the birth of her daughter. She reached the US Open semis last year. Then she withdrew ahead of her third-round Australian Open match this year due to an abdominal injury. At the Indian Wells, she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the pre-quarterfinals.
