Osaka: "I want to finish the year among the top 10 female players"
Naomi Osaka, currently number 16 in the world, admits to feeling the pressure she plays under due to wanting to climb in the official rankings.
Despite wanting to show the world that latest Labubu, which would have meant the Japanese player reaching the final of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season, Naomi Osaka continues to make progress in 2025. The world number 16 has high ambitions for the remainder of the year.
Meeting expectations in a tough first round at the WTA Wuhan 2025, Naomi Osaka fought back to defeat Leylah Fernandez in three sets and stay alive in the Chinese WTA 1000 event, where she can make significant strides both in her game and confidence on the court, as well as climbing the official rankings.
- Naomi Osaka on the pressure of climbing the rankings
"That was the hardest thing I had to face today. Of course, I want to finish the year among the top 10 players, but I don't want to stress too much about it. During the US tour, when I had a good streak, I didn't think much about the rankings, just about securing a place at this point," Osaka said as reported by Tennis365.
"Tomasz told me there is a slight difference between being seed number 16 or something like that, so I think that's my goal for the end of the year. Mentally, it was very tough for me today. It's a challenging part of the season. I'm very happy to have overcome it, and it should be easier from now on. I feel like I need to go for my shots more," affirmed the Japanese player from the WTA Wuhan 2025.
- Naomi Osaka and the support she feels at the WTA Wuhan 2025
"The support today was incredible; I'm very grateful. Every time I come to China, I feel a lot of love from everyone, and I appreciate it very much. I think about Beijing, where I receive the best gifts from China, and I don't know, it's just very nice. I'm very happy to see everyone, and everyone is also happy to see me, so there is a very good energy."
After overcoming that initial challenge, Naomi will face another very dangerous opponent: Linda Noskova. This will be the first encounter between the Japanese player and the young 20-year-old Czech, posing a significant test for Osaka in terms of the consistency she aims to achieve in the coming weeks.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Osaka: "Quiero acabar el año entre las 10 mejores jugadoras"