Naomi Osaka is setting ambitious targets for the next chapter of her career after taking a maternity break in 2023.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has openly stated that she is aiming for a Career Grand Slam, which means she must add French Open and Wimbledon titles to her collection.

Currently ranked No. 57 in the world, Osaka has been steadily climbing the WTA rankings. Her struggles began in 2021 when a dip in form, coupled with mental health challenges, led to a ranking decline and a break from the sport. In 2023, she welcomed her daughter, Shai, and set her sights on a strong comeback in 2024.

At the start of the year, Osaka was ranked outside the Top 800, but a series of strong performances have propelled her back to No. 57. She has competed in two tournaments so far, achieving a 6-2 record.

However, both of her defeats came via retirement due to injury—first in the ASB Classic final against Clara Tauson (Osaka was leading 6-4 before withdrawing), and then in the Australian Open third round against Belinda Bencic (6-7, ret.).

Osaka chasing history: Winning Wimbledon & Roland Garros on her radar

Although injuries have hindered her momentum, Osaka has shown impressive form whenever she steps on the court. With four Grand Slam titles under her belt, her ability to compete with the world’s best is undeniable.

However, most of her success has come on hard courts, and she is now determined to expand her dominance by mastering other surfaces in pursuit of a Career Grand Slam.

“I have a lot of goals going forward. For as long as I can play, I really want to win Wimbledon and Roland Garros (the French Open) and get a career Grand Slam,” Osaka said. “It’s interesting when I hear from an outside perspective because, of course, all of the achievements (I’ve had so far) are great, but I always feel like there’s a lot more to do.”

Osaka’s performances at Roland Garros and Wimbledon have been underwhelming so far, as she has yet to advance beyond the third round in either tournament. In stark contrast, she claimed two Australian Open titles and two US Open championships between 2018 and 2021.

The Venus Williams influence

Indian Wells recently granted a wild card to seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams. Osaka, who has often named Venus and Serena Williams as her biggest inspirations, shared her excitement about the opportunity to compete alongside the tennis icon.

“She’s probably the reason why I started playing. It makes me really excited to go to the tournament and see her, and I feel like she probably doesn’t know how many people she’s inspired because even she inspired me – and through me, there’s probably other kids that are inspired. So it keeps the legacy going.”

However, Osaka’s anticipated reunion won’t be happening. Just hours after Indian Wells announced the wild card, Williams clarified that she would not be participating.

Speaking at an event in Denmark, the former World No. 1 admitted she was unaware of the invitation. “I’m going to be overseas. I’m not going to be [there],” Williams said. “I’m not playing. I found out about the wild card when you guys did. Just saying.”

After a series of unexpected defeats at the Australian Open, Dubai Open, and Qatar Open, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka are facing an uncharacteristically challenging start to their 2025 season.

Gauff, ranked No. 3 in the world, was knocked out in the Melbourne quarter-finals by Paula Badosa before suffering back-to-back early exits in Qatar and Dubai. The American struggled with her serve and forehand in Doha, where she lost 6-2, 7-5 to Marta Kostyuk, and then fell 6-4, 7-5 to compatriot McCartney Kessler in Dubai.

Meanwhile, world No. 1 Sabalenka has yet to regain her rhythm following her Australian Open final loss. She was defeated by Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 in Doha and then fell 7-6, 6-4 to Clara Tauson in Dubai, extending her post-Melbourne slump.

Swiatek has fared slightly better, reaching the semi-finals in Qatar and the quarter-finals in Dubai. However, both exits came as surprises, particularly in Dubai, where the world No. 2 was stunned by 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in a straight-sets 6-3, 6-3 loss that sent shockwaves through the tennis world.

The string of unexpected defeats among the WTA’s top three players has sparked speculation about the underlying cause. Swiatek believes the issue lies in the WTA’s scheduling, arguing that the demanding tour calendar is taking a toll on the top-ranked players.

“It’s a calendar thing. Like, we’re not going to be able to be consistent for many years playing week by week,” she told a reporter when asked about her struggles.

“Also it’s not like some time ago that outside of, like, top-20 players, they were just getting destroyed more. Now anybody can win these tournaments. It has been like that for a couple of years.

“But I feel like the calendar is not helping. Again, like, we need to switch continents, we need to switch surfaces, we need to switch the balls. Yeah, it’s not easy. I’m not surprised.”

Swiatek’s assessment holds weight, especially considering that several top-10 WTA players have struggled with consistency this year amid a demanding and unpredictable schedule.

World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini has managed just four singles wins since the start of the year and was unable to defend her Dubai Open title. Similarly, world No. 5 Jessica Pegula has recorded only five victories, suffering an early exit in Dubai after losing her second match to Linda Noskova. Meanwhile, world No. 8 Qinwen Zheng has won just one match in 2025.

World No. 9 Emma Navarro started the year strong with a quarter-final run at the Australian Open but has since managed only two wins.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka has pointed to the abrupt shift from Australia to the Middle East as a key factor in her recent struggles, echoing concerns about the tour’s demanding schedule.

“I’d say that for the last couple of years, I’m not doing well in the Middle East. I believe we need to change something in the preparation,” said Sabalenka.

“Because every time I don’t feel well playing here, health-wise I’m struggling. Australia always taking a lot of energy out of me.

“I believe that I’m not that hungry on court. I’m kind of like all over the place in my thoughts and not consistent. The decisions I’m making on the court are a bit wrong, and emotionally, I’m not on my best.”

Sabalenka will be eager to regain her form quickly, as the hard-court season—her strongest surface—is nearing its end.

Indian Wells and the Miami Open are set to begin in early March, marking the final major hard-court events before the clay season takes over later in the month.

The next Grand Slam, the French Open, where Swiatek has claimed four titles, is scheduled to begin on May 25.

Emma Raducanu has returned to London following a distressing experience with a stalker at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships. The 22-year-old appeared visibly shaken as she shared an emotional reunion with her father at the airport.

After defeating Maria Sakkari in the opening round of the WTA 1000 event, Raducanu fell to Karolina Muchova in the second round, displaying signs of distress during the match. She broke down in tears, hid behind the umpire’s chair, and appeared to suffer a panic attack while security escorted a man from the stands.

The WTA later confirmed that the individual had exhibited “fixated behavior” toward Raducanu the day before and announced that he would be banned from all tour-level events to ensure her safety.

Now back in London, Raducanu’s homecoming was far from joyous, as she was seen in tears at Heathrow Airport, visibly emotional after reuniting with her father, Ion.

Emma Raducanu’s coach discloses ‘frightening’ details about her Dubai stalker

Emma Raducanu’s distress is understandable, given revelations from her coaching team member, Roman Kelecic. He disclosed that the man had been following her across multiple tournaments, from the Singapore Open to Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai.

Kelecic also described a disturbing incident at a restaurant in the tennis center, where the man hugged Raducanu “obsessively” and refused to leave her alone, leaving the Brit in a state of “great panic.”

“He (The stalker) approached her, started obsessively hugging her, taking pictures with her, in short, he didn’t leave her alone, and then Emma called me in a great panic for help. This was the only moment during the tournament when none of us from the team was with Emma,” he told Croatian portal Net.hr.

“The most frightening thing about it all is that he was obviously monitoring her movements the whole time and that he had a plan for how and when he would try to get to her,” he added.

After spending time recovering with her family, Emma Raducanu will aim to move past the distressing experience. She is set to return to action at the Indian Wells Open, which begins on March 5.