Naomi Osaka provides an update on her return amid disappointing form, read details

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has hinted at making a comeback to the court in the near future, saying that success won't be a motivating factor for her when she returns. Osaka provided an update on her tennis career while appearing on HBO's The Shop, where she said that she had that "itch" to play again. Earlier this year, Osaka announced that she would take an extended break from the sport, citing mental health issues as the reason. Osaka recently confirmed her withdrawal from the next month's Indian Wells. 

"Probably soon, because I kind of have that itch again, but it wouldn’t really matter to me if I won or lost. I’d just have the joy of being back on the court, just to … know that I’m doing it for myself," Osaka said while appearing on HBO's The Shop. 

Osaka announces break from tennis

Despite winning the Australian Open title earlier this year, Osaka has had a turbulent 2021 season. Osaka withdrew from French Open, citing mental wellbeing as the reason and then opted out of Wimbledon. After a mid-season break from tennis, the 23-year-old returned to participate in the Olympics, the US Open, and Cincinnati Open, only to lose all of them in the third round. After facing a defeat in the US Open, Osaka announced another hiatus from the sport. After her defeat at the US Open, Osaka said that she didn't know when she would play her next tennis match, suggesting a long-term break from the sport.  

Osaka recently dropped out of the top five in the WTA rankings. The four-time grand slam champion was in the fifth position before the latest update saw her slip three places down to the eighth spot. Osaka now has 4326 points to her name. The drop in Osaka's WTA rankings has occurred due to her unavailability in major tournaments across the world. Osaka has been ranked number 1 in the WTA rankings. 

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