The tennis season is winding down, and while some players are beaming with pride, others are reflecting on a year filled with challenges. For Naomi Osaka, it’s been nothing short of a roller coaster – from moments of brilliance to unexpected setbacks, the Japanese star has seen it all. But Osaka likes to handle her highs and lows with a mix of grit and humor! As she gears up for the new season, she gave fans a sneak peek into her practice sessions—and let’s just say, it’s not all smooth sailing. 

The Japanese tennis sensation took to her Instagram to share a string of pictures and videos from the first day of her pre-season practice. In one of these pictures, she can be seen lying on the court with her tennis kit near her head. In another visual, she detailed the outcome of the practice session for her and her team, as coach Patrick Mouratoglou was also spotted in the video. But what caught the attention of the fans were the cheeky yet blunt remarks she added highlighting how she “survived” the sessions. 

In the video, Osaka can be heard saying, “I am making a video on how we survived the first day of preseason,” highlighting how she faced certain challenges despite eventually managing to sail through. Captioning the post, she also wrote, “It’s giving “call the ambulance 🚑😭” Osaka’s post comes against the backdrop of injuries that forced her to end her season unexpectedly. 

The Japanese star played her last match against Coco Gauff at the China Open where she was forced to withdraw owing to a back injury. She was seen moving off the court – with Gauff helping her carry her bag back to the locker room. She later revealed that she had persistent back pain that forced her to retire to prioritize her health. This in fact led her to halt her other campaigns, including the Japan Open. It is probably for this reason that Osaka also shared a screenshot of her post on Threads which read, “Just finished the practice of the preseason. 😭I thought it was over for me,” highlighting that her challenges were not completely gone. 

 The 27-year-old also faced unexpected results throughout the season, which further marred her progress. In fact, on the hard courts, which gave her all four Grand Slams, Osaka failed even more drastically. She was ousted as early as the second qualifier at the Cincinnati Masters. While she looked to make a comeback in China winning her first three matches and the first set of her match against Gauff, she eventually had to quit owing to injury. These struggles also propelled her to make some serious decisions as well. 

Osaka decided to split with her former coach Wim Fisette and joined forces with Mouratoglou to overcome her struggles and win remarkably. But as she gears up for the next season, she seems to have her priorities set, as revealed earlier by the star player herself. 

Naomi Osaka has her ambitions clear for the next season

Naomi Osaka faced an inconsistent year with surprising setbacks knocking her over time and again. But now, as she prepares for the next season, she wishes to make a remarkable comeback and play some sensational tennis, the beginning of which she wishes to mark at the ASB Classic in Auckland.

Speaking about her return to this iconic, Osaka said, “I am looking forward to just embracing the nature of Auckland and of course, playing in a tournament that I have not played in for a long time. I am excited to return to Auckland for the ASB Classic 2025.” However, this is not her only goal for now as she also desires to get seeded in Australia. 

“My goal now, I think to be seeded in Australia. I would really love that. I would love to avoid Caroline Garcia (smiling). Yeah, just being seeded. But not putting too much pressure on myself. I’m just trying to take it day by day,” Osaka said during an interview in September. Will she be able to accomplish her goals? Well, only time will tell.