Naomi Osaka’s 2025 season hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. The Japanese star’s Australian Open run came to an unfortunate halt on January 17, as she was forced to retire in the third round against Belinda Bencic due to an abdominal injury. The match was tight, with Bencic taking the first set in a tiebreak 7(7)-6(3), but Osaka couldn’t continue after that. That marked yet another walkover for the former World No.1, a pattern that has followed her since last season. But the former World No.1 isn’t sulking over setbacks. Instead, she’s turning up the volume—literally.!

On February 2, Osaka vibed out to ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ by the iconic American band Black Eyed Peas. She posted their song on her Instagram story and made a special request to the group. “I’m gonna need the black-eyed peas to come back asap. This song makes me emotional and turned at the same time,” she wrote. And if that wasn’t enough to prove her love for the track, she also shared a video of herself lip-syncing and grooving in a car. The caption? “This song is everything.” Looks like she ‘just can’t get enough.’

This isn’t the first time the 27-year-old has shown her passion for music. She has always been vocal about her admiration for artists, especially her ex-boyfriend, American rapper Cordae. Back in November 2024, she gave him a shoutout after the release of ‘The Crossroads’, his third studio album featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne.

Now, with Black Eyed Peas back on her playlist, Naomi Osaka seems to be finding ways to keep her spirits high despite recent struggles on the court.

Since returning from maternity leave, Osaka’s journey has been a rollercoaster. While her game has shown glimpses of her old dominance, injuries have repeatedly cut her momentum short. This trend started at the China Open last season, where she withdrew from her Round of 16 match against Coco Gauff. Since then, the 27-year-old tennis sensation has retired twice mid-match – first in the ASB Classic final against Clara Tauson and then in the Australian Open against Bencic.

But in between those setbacks, Osaka has been putting up strong performances that have propelled her in the World rankings.

Naomi Osaka moves up in rankings despite injury woes

Naomi Osaka started her Australian Open campaign by battling past Caroline Garcia in three sets. In the second round, she upset 20th seed Karolina Muchova, proving she still has what it takes.

Osaka’s WTA ranking took a hit in 2024, pushing her out of the top 50. Although she is back to the 42nd spot now, it’s not the ranking the former World No.1 is used to. But given her 6-2 record in 2025, there’s plenty of room for progress if she can stay healthy.

The 27-year-old tennis player was set to play in the Abu Dhabi Open, which begins on February 3. But she has now pulled out of the tournament. Since she didn’t make the main draw cut, she would have needed to play qualifiers or hope for a lucky entry via withdrawals. Instead, she’s opting to sit this one out.

For Naomi Osaka, the challenge now is clear—stay on court, stay fit, and keep the momentum going. Can she shake off these injury woes and make a real push this season?