Not so long ago, Naomi Osaka was seen as the enduring successor to Serena Williams at the top of the women’s tennis world. But on the WTA Tour she can no longer be found.
Maybe it’s a result of her inner conflict? Or just an accidental report that hasn’t been corrected yet? That Naomi Osaka is on the entry list for the Australian Open (16.-29.01.2023), but there is no doubt about that. That the 25-year-old in down underat the first Grand Slam-Tournament of the year, but will actually compete, the doubts about that are likely to increase by the hour.
The organizers have apparently not yet been able to contact Naomi Osaka to confirm her participation in the 2023 tournament. While the tennis colleagues are all in Australia to get used to the climatic conditions and to improve their form, Osaka had not decided for either of them in advance WTA– Preparatory tournaments registered.
Tennis is probably no longer a priority
Rather, the Japanese seems currently in the USA and there in Los Angeles after she visited the French art museum with her boyfriend, the American rapper Cordae, at the end of December Louvre visited in Paris. There they both appeared in front of the famous painting of the Mona Lisa on the social media-Platform Instagram.
The former world number one, each twice the Australia– and the US Open was able to win has now slipped down to position 42. The sport of tennis, which has made her so successful, famous and also so rich, seems to have moved far down her list of priorities.
anxiety and depression
Osaka hasn’t played since their elimination at their home tournament in Tokyo in September 2022 WTAtour participated. She only started in eleven tournaments last season anyway – with a record of 15 wins and eleven bankruptcies. She failed to win a title. She also separated from her Coach Wim Fisette, so far she has not hired a new coach.
However, Osaka’s inner departure from a professional player may have started earlier. In 2021, Osaka withdrew from the French Open returned after the first round after being unwilling and unable to attend the tournament’s press conferences. She later revealed that she has been suffering from an anxiety disorder for several years, which often occurs in combination with depression. Since then, her (tennis) world is no longer what it used to be. Her interests have apparently shifted.
High income and children’s books
Meanwhile, Osaka was working on an illustrated children’s book called “The Way Champs Play“, published in December by the publisher HarperCollins has been published. Osaka has also worked as a producer on “MINK!” worked, a short film about Patsy Mink, the first black woman elected to the US House of Representatives – and the first Asian-American woman in Congress.
Despite the career development, Osaka does not have to worry financially. She has made many millions of dollars since she took the public stage in 2018. According to the annual Forbes ranking, she is the highest-earning female athlete in the world for the third consecutive year in 2022, earning 51.1 million last year U.S. dollar, mainly from advertising revenue in Japan. Only 1.1 million dollar of which come from the tennis court.
The big question will be when will Osaka finally retire from professional tennis? Or: Perhaps someone in charge of the tournament can still reach what was once the best tennis player in the world by telephone?