Naomi Osaka will return to tour-level action at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next week as she nears the end of her season.
Osaka‘s 2026 campaign has been an indifferent one, with some strong performances but also some early exits at big tournaments. The Japanese star, currently ranked 19th in the world, has made one tour-level final this year, which she managed at the Bad Homburg Open.
At Grand Slams, Osaka has reached just one quarterfinal, which came at Wimbledon; her best-ever finish at the grass-court major.
Naomi Osaka speaks about her future in tennis and potential
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, having won both the Australian Open and the US Open twice from 2018 to 2021. She took time away from the tour in 2021 to prioritise her mental health and was out for another 15 months due to pregnancy.
Since returning in 2024, Osaka has managed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, but has not been able to produce the consistency at majors she once could. Osaka recently stated she does not feel far away from that level, however.
As per the BBC, Osaka said: “It’s tough; sometimes I look towards my future, and I often wonder how long I’m going to play. Because if my daughter did say she didn’t want me to travel as much, I’m not the type of person to ignore that.
How would you feel if Novak Djokovic got a wildcard to the ATP Finals?
Is there any changes you’d make to the current qualification system?
“My daughter is my biggest priority. I try my best to put as much energy as I can into tennis. I wouldn’t say I’m part-timing it, but my entire day doesn’t consist of that. If I think about it in certain ways, I’m really proud of where I am now because it’s not like I can dedicate my entire time to the sport.
“I genuinely don’t feel like I’m that far off (being back to her best). I think there are certain instincts that I don’t want to say I lost, but maybe I forgot, and I’m kind of relearning, but yeah, I don’t think – I hope – I’m not far off.
“I think I built a pretty solid base, and I’m just excited to see if I can continue learning and going further in tournaments.” Osaka’s first opponent at the Pan Pacific Open is Jasmine Paolini, whom she played just once before at the 2025 Miami Open, where the Italian came out on top.
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