MIAMI : Naomi Osaka said she is still working out how to balance the demands of the tour with motherhood after the former world number one suffered a first-round loss to Australia’s Talia Gibson at the Miami Open on Saturday.
Osaka, who returned to competition in 2024 after a 15-month break following the birth of her daughter, fell 7-5 6-4 in her opening match.
The four-times Grand Slam champion said she was now considering how much of the clay-court season she would play as she tries to combine her ambitions on court with family life.
“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.”
Osaka said she would skip Charleston but hoped to play in Madrid and Rome before the French Open.
She had reached the U.S. Open semi-finals last year after returning to the circuit, but withdrew before her scheduled third-round match at the Australian Open in January because of an abdominal injury.
Earlier this month, Osaka lost to world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the pre-quarter-finals at Indian Wells before another early exit in Miami.
Gibson, 21, will face Iva Jovic in the next round.
