Osaka figuring out how best to balance tennis schedule with motherhood after Miami exit

Osaka in action at Miami Open
Osaka in action at Miami OpenReuters / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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 US 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-quarter-finals 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.

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