Osaka weighs clay court season, motherhood ‘dilemma’

2026-03-22 - 13:00

Former world number one Naomi Osaka said she is considering how best to balance ​her tennis schedule with motherhood after a 7-5 6-4 loss ‌to Australia’s Talia Gibson in her opening match on Saturday. Osaka returned to the tour in 2024 after a 15-month break following the birth of ​her daughter and reached the U.S. Open semi-finals last ​year. She withdrew ahead of her scheduled third-round match ⁠at the Australian Open in January due to an abdominal ​injury. The four-time Grand Slam champion lost to world number one Aryna ​Sabalenka in the Indian Wells pre-quarterfinals this month before another early exit in Miami. Asked about her plans for the clay season, Osaka said she is ​weighing the demands of the tour with the time she ​wants to spend at home. “I feel like this also is a dilemma for ‌me,” ⁠Osaka told reporters. “For me, my daughter is very important, and I want to be a mom. I want to be the best mom I can, but sometimes I feel like I know ​what I have ​to do to ⁠become a really good player, and it’s very difficult. “Because for me, I want to win titles ​and I want to be the best player ​I ⁠can, but if I have to sacrifice having a lot of time with my daughter, I’d rather not do it. “I’m not going ⁠to play ​Charleston. I hope I can play ​Madrid, Rome and then, obviously, the French Open.” Gibson, 21, will play Iva Jovic in ​the next round on Sunday.