Naomi Osaka’s challenges seem far from over. This season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for the Japanese star, with early exits and unexpected setbacks marking her journey through various tournaments. After a string of poor performances, it looked like Osaka was ready to bounce back in style, especially as she geared up for the much-anticipated Asian Swing. But a major injury at the China Open threw yet another wrench into her plans. Now, as she steps back to recover, it feels like Osaka is left hoping for a little bit of luck and perhaps the stars aligning in her favor.

Osaka encountered major trouble during her campaign at the China Open. She uneasily moved off the court, with Coco Gauff helping by carrying her bag back to the locker room. She later acknowledged that she had persistent back pain that forced her to retire to prioritize her health. This also led her to halt her other campaigns, including the Japan Open. As Osaka spends time away from the court, she is keeping herself busy on social media, which now reflects her reliance on her sun sign for a comeback.

Taking to her Instagram story, the star player shared a screenshot of her Threads post that read, “Why is it so common for Libra’s to crash out? Are we okay 😭???” She posted this along with a poll that asked about the situation of “fellow libras” in October. As soon as she shared the story, several people responded to her with a user claiming, “omg something is going onnnnn we deserve better this libra szn!!!” This seemed to capture the attention of the former World No. 1 who quickly responded on a similar note. 

Replying to the comment, Naomi Osaka wrote, “🥲 seriously ♎♎♎ we need a boost.” Remember, the star player faced unexpected results throughout the season. In fact, on the hard courts, which gave her all four Grand Slams, Osaka failed even more drastically and was ousted as early as the second qualifier at the Cincinnati Masters. These challenges also forced her to make some serious decisions over the past couple of days.

Osaka parted ways with her former coach Wim Fisette and joined forces with the former coach of Serena Williams, Patrick Mouratoglou. She looked to make a statement at the China Open and won her first three matches, two of which came in straight sets. Against Gauff too, she started on a sensational tone despite the injury and won the first set, only to elevate her struggles and retire mid-match. Interestingly, this is not the first time that Osaka has made some zodiac remarks.

Sharing pictures ahead of her comeback in October last year, Osaka took to her Instagram account to highlight her mindset, with a unique caption. “Big libra vibes,” she wrote, as she also shared a picture of the Manga character Sailor Moon, which also had a quote that read “Don’t you tell me what to do?” But despite the challenges that Osaka is facing, she is not failing to take the internet by storm with her sensational takes.

When Osaka lashed out at critics for calling her a ‘fluke’

Naomi Osaka’s painful exit from the China Open did not just draw her sympathy, but some criticism as well. However, Osaka is not ready to take any offense against herself and slammed her critics unapologetically on social media platforms soon after she stepped away from the court.

The Japanese sensation took to Instagram threads and slammed the spectator for the remarks. “I just saw someone call me a fluke. How is it possible to be a fluke with 4 grand slams, lighting the Olympic torch, beating multiple top 20 opponents and being close to top 50 the year after giving birth? Foh, you couldn’t even touch one of my accomplishments with your fingernail,” Osaka wrote. As soon as her post gained traction, she witnessed immense support from her fans. She also highlighted that fans can anticipate her to be a little more active on social media than usual as she took sharp digs at her critics.

Meanwhile, it will be crucial for Naomi Osaka to return to the competitive arena soon in dominant form. Can the Japanese star overcome her challenges and return dominantly this season? Well, only time will tell.