Naomi Osaka reveals she told her dad that she "wants more" than just being healthy and happy on the court as the 27-year-old still dreams of returning to her past form and being one of the very best in the game.
The past week has been one of the best of the year for the former world No. 1, who has been through to the quarterfinal of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal. After impressively saving three consecutive match points against Liudmila Samsonova and also ousting Jelena Ostapenko, the Japanese obliterated Anastasija Sevastova 6-1 6-0 in just 49 minutes in her round-of-16 match at the Canadian Open.
If Osaka beats Elina Svitolina in her next Montreal match, she will make her first WTA 1000 semifinal as a mom. However, even if she loses, she is guaranteed to return to the top-35 next week – which will mark her best ranking since she returned to tennis at the start of 2024.
The four-time Grand Slam champion is doing nicely in Montreal but highlights that her goals are bigger than just making a notable run at a big event.
Osaka: My dad told me this… I told him I agree but I want more
"It's weird. I talked to my dad, and he said, like, 'Just being healthy and happy is a form of success.' I agree with that, but I want more. I mean, definitely, of course I would want to win slams, of course I would want to be in the top 10, but I think I need to pace myself and go for the mini goals, and they'll eventually turn into the big goals… I think being in the quarterfinals here is a step to hopefully getting to the semis and the finals, so I'll try to treat it more like that," the current world No. 49 explained.
Osaka saying she wants to win more Grand Slams isn't anything new. Even before kicking off her post-pregnancy comeback, the 27-year-old said she wanted to win some Majors for her daughter Shai.
