Naomi Osaka has recently opened up about her health struggles following a loss to Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the opening round of the United Cup, a mixed-team tournament in Australia. Representing Japan, Osaka faced a tough match on Friday, Jan. 2, where she fell 6-4, 6-2 to Sakkari, marking the start of her 2026 season.
Since giving birth to her daughter, Shai, in July 2023, Osaka made her return to competitive tennis at the start of 2024. Although the four-time Grand Slam champion has shown notable progress in her performance, she acknowledges that she has not yet reached her peak.
During a press conference on Friday, reporters inquired about her noticeable coughing throughout the match and her overall condition on the court. Osaka shared her perspective:
“I have been dealing with some health stuff, so I’m kind of just happy to be out here right now. It’s not like serious, but yeah. I think I got it from my daughter (smiling). I want to say, like before Christmas Eve. I’m not operating at the percent that I want to be operating at, which kind of sucks because, like, I had a really good off-season, so I thought I was going to do really well here. Then I got really sick. I think I’m at the tail end of that, but still not amazing.”
“So yeah, I feel like for me, I’m just trying to get better every day. Obviously, I had a cough, like a runny nose, like all that nasty stuff, yeah. Hopefully, it goes away before the Australian Open,” she added.
Team Japan competes in Group E alongside Greece and Great Britain. Osaka is set to face Emma Raducanu when Japan meets Great Britain on Sunday, Jan. 4. The tournament’s fourth edition is being hosted across Perth and Sydney.
Naomi Osaka Discusses the Challenge of Balancing Tennis and Motherhood
In a press conference prior to her match against Maria Sakkari, Naomi Osaka candidly discussed the complexities of balancing her tennis career with caring for her daughter, Shai.
“I would say it’s definitely really tough. This off-season was quite difficult for me, as well, just because you try to be there for her all the time, and obviously, there are moments where you have to practice or you have to do something. It is really difficult,” Osaka remarked to The Tennis Gazette.
“I hope that I’m managing it or I’m juggling it well. I also hope there’s going to come a time that she understands why I did the things that I did,” she added.
Osaka concluded the 2025 season ranked World No. 16, securing 35 victories out of 50 matches, although she did not manage to claim any titles.
