Naomi Osaka's most satisfying moment in 2025 wasn't a particular tennis result, but the fact that "I did not give up on myself."
This past season, Osaka managed to post a couple of really notable results and get closer to where she wants to be. In the first week of 2025, the Japanese reached the Auckland final – even won the first set against Clara Tauson – but failed to win her first WTA title since 2021 after an unfortunate abdominal injury forced her to retire. In May, the former world No. 1 captured her first clay title at the WTA 125 (Challenger) tournament in Saint-Malo.
During the North American hard-court swing, Osaka showed flashes of her old form as she finished as runner-up at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati before reaching the US Open semifinal. The Japanese, who started 2025 ranked at No 59 in the world, improved 43 spots and finished the year at No. 16.
Osaka: No achievement sticks out… I'm proud that I didn't give up on myself
"As you reflect on the past year, what was your most satisfying achievement?" the Japanese was asked during a Q&A session she hosted on Instagram.
The seven-time WTA winner responded: "No achievement sticks out but I'm proud that I didn't give up on myself."
Prior to her deep Montreal and US Open runs, Osaka admitted that it was hurting her that she wasn't getting her desired results. But after making a coaching change and replacing Patrick Mouratoglou with Tomasz Wiktorowski, the 28-year-old managed to turn the page.
“I don’t feel sad. It’s really weird, well, it’s not weird because I just feel that I did the best that I could. Honestly, it’s kind of inspiring for me because it makes me want to train and get better. Hopefully, I can give it my best shot again and see what happens," Osaka said after her US Open semifinal loss to Amanda Anisimova.
