‘She Has to Feed Her Family’ – Tennis World Divided as They Dissect Naomi Osaka’s Future Post Pregnancy

The Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka is currently off the WTA Tour, as she is focusing on welcoming her first child. The 25-year-old was on and off the tour throughout the 2022 season. While most of last year she was nursing some or the other injury, her performance in parts hasn’t been great either.

Recently, when she disappeared before announcing the pregnancy, there were rumors that the four-time Grand Slam champion might just have retired quietly. Now that she is on a break for at least a year, the question on everyone’s mind is about Osaka’s comeback.

Fans discuss comeback chances for Naomi Osaka

If we analyze the last ten years of the WTA Tour, there have been three big names. Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Ashleigh Barty. While Serena recently retired after an illustrious career in the sport, Barty shocked everyone with an early retirement last year. Osaka is the most successful active tennis player currently after Venus Williams.

However, in the last ten years, Venus has not been as good as in her early days. As Osaka went on maternity leave, now fans think the 25-year-old might never return. However, a few other fans disagree. Here’s an interesting Reddit thread regarding the same.

Comment from discussion jamesda123’s comment from discussion "Osaka done?".

“My 100% armchair analysis is that Osaka doesn’t love the process and she already makes $50M a year. Makes it hard to grind all year which is what it takes to be good at tennis at the top level.”

“Osaka is cooked.”

“She has to feed her family. And now that the family is growing, surely she has to come back. Money doesn’t grow on trees.”

“Good riddance. She’s been a part-time player for a couple of yrs now.”

“I agree. It’s a bad assumption. But, it does seem like Osaka is not interested in tennis. At least to me. OR that tennis is not a priority. More like a 3rd or 4th priority. It will be interesting to see where she lands after having the child. Sometimes, children changes things and how one views life.”

Is it really fair to add Ash Barty and Naomi Osaka to the list that has Serena? Another fan asked a valid question.

“It’s honestly strange for Osaka and Barty to be included at all next to Serena tbh. Did they really “dominate” for a decade?!”

“Serena’s 2013 season is almost better than Barty’s entire career. Barty is a nice person but she’s overrated due to her premature retirement and the Covid-19 rankings (never should have been 2020 YE’s #1).”

Read more: ‘Always Wanted to Help…’ – A Proud Naomi Osaka Uses Her Platform to Aid a Struggling Tennis Player

While most of the fans are not happy with the way Osaka played in the last couple of years, a few believe the Japanese star has lost her interest. However, there’s a section of fans who believe that both Barty and Osaka were never on a par with Serena.

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Although it is true, but when they began their careers, Serena was a seasoned campaigner. Now that Barty has stepped away, it will be interesting to see if Osaka can defy the public opinion. Fans are still hopeful of a strong return for the four-time Grand Slam champion. Do you think she can do it? Let us know in the comments section.