Naomi Osaka retirement: Could an announcement be imminent after honest comments?
Naomi Osaka has shown flashes of her Grand Slam-winning form since her return to tennis, but she has given a big hint that her story on the court could soon come to an end.
Osaka has been battling injuries and struggling to find her best form in the opening weeks of 2026, with her defeat against in-form qualifier Talia Gibson her opening match at the Miami Open adding to her downbeat mood.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has admitted that spending time on the road in a bid to extend her tennis career is more challenging as it means she needs to leave her young daughter behind and now it seems the 28-year-old is questioning how long she wants to continue her career.
Speaking to the media after her defeat in Miami, Osaka gave the biggest hint yet that she is considering retirement from tennis and it may come sooner than most of us expected.
“I feel like this is a dilemma for me,” Osaka told reporters. “For me, my daughter is very important, and I want to be a mum.
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“I want to be the best mum I can, but sometimes I feel like I know what I have to do to become a really good player, and it’s very difficult.
“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.”
Osaka spoke earlier this month about the challenges she is facing, with her failure to make an impact at the top of the came since her comeback challenging her motivation.
“For me, I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, only when it comes to tennis,” she stated.
“I have been playing since I was so young, and I want things to go a certain way, because that’s how I practice. But I’m learning how to let go and kind of just take every day as a new adventure.
“So it’s a little easier now to be happy, especially since I’m getting older (smiling). So, you know, these joints don’t work like they used to, but yeah, I’m just happy to have been able to play.”
Osaka confirmed she intents to try and continue her career to the French Open at least, but she is clearly starting to doubt whether she can enjoy the kind of upturn in fortunes that will encourage her to battle on.
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