Absolutely disappointing! Naomi Osaka’s quest for her first title in four years is still intact. Reason? She had to withdraw from the final match against Clara Tauson (DEN) at the ASB Classic. The former world number one retired with an injury after winning the opening set by 6-4 in Auckland. Was it the only reason that led her to this saddening end to her campaign in Auckland?

It seemed as if she was having some issues with her lower back/abdomen. She was in tears and with the 2025 AO knocking at the doors, everyone looked a bit concerned. Later on during the on-court interview, Naomi Osaka shared an interesting thought on another probable reason behind her disappointment at the 2025 ASB Classic final. What’s it? During the on-court interview, the interviewer was heard saying, “You mentioned throughout the week you had some superstitions. Always eat the same breakfasts.. one shoe on before the other…”

After hearing this, Naomi Osaka gave an interesting reply. She said, “Now that you mention it, I didn’t eat breakfast today so maybe that’s why I should stick to my superstitions. 😂 I want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city. I had a lot of fun playing here. I’m really sorry about how it ended. I’m just really grateful to be here.” She looked in a relatively light mood afterward but still, there remains a concern about her participation at the 2025 AO. Fans are a bit worried. Hope nothing is too serious with this four-time Grand Slam champ.

Talking about her superstitions, well, it’s not the first time the tennis world saw her speaking about it. During the 2022 Australian Open, Naomi Osaka was spotted avoiding stepping on the “Melbourne” signage on the court. Throughout the matches, she was seen hopping over it and even redoing her steps if she had accidentally, ever-so-slightly stepped on it. While speaking on this superstition, Naomi Osaka later revealed, “Every time I’ve come here, I really don’t like stepping on the lines or the Melbourne logo in the back.”

She further added, “I’m not really sure why that developed. I would say that most athletes have very strong superstitions. It could be one thing, it could be two things. For me, it’s definitely the lines and the logo.” Was it the only superstition she performed at that mega event, though? Well, the answer is no! Naomi Osaka further added, “I need my water bottles to be completely straight…I’m not sure why that is.”

We don’t know whether this superstition played a role in her ill fate in this epic encounter. However, seeing her in tears while sitting on the bench and waiting for the trainer was really a tense moment for all her fans. She left the court to a subdued ovation. The Auckland final was her first since her return to tennis and had she won it, it’d have been her first title of any kind since the 2021 AO. The 2025 AO is all set to commence from January 12 to January 26. What do Naomi Osaka and her new coach Patrick Mouratoglou think about what lies ahead in the upcoming years?

“Don’t see myself playing for a while” – Naomi Osaka’s interesting revelation ahead of the 2025 AO

Naomi Osaka played 38 matches this season and her best results came at the Qatar Open and the s-Hertogenbosch, NL. She reached the QF in both of these tournaments. Reflecting on her thoughts on the 2024 season, Osaka said, “I think 2024 humbled me, but I also feel like I grew a lot. I worked way harder than I’ve ever worked before. So in that, I guess it was very painful to not get the results I wanted, but I feel like I’m growing and learning and I am really excited for (2025).”

However, having said that she also added, “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, 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.” What are her plans then? “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,” said Naomi Osaka.

This was her second consecutive withdrawal from a tournament. Previously, she had to withdraw from her R16 match against Coco Gauff at the China Open. Injuries brought an early end to her season in 2024. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if she really can win any major title in the upcoming years. What does her coach think of this though?

“She’s extremely motivated to come back and win Grand Slams, and it’s a pleasure for me because that’s the dream of every coach: to have a player who has that level of motivation,” said Patrick Mouratoglou. Naomi Osaka won the AO title in 2019 and 2021. Do you think Naomi Osaka has a real chance of winning the 2025 AO (if she’s fully fit)?