Naomi Osaka admits she ‘gets stressed’ over the chase for ranking points, as she responded to questions from Tennis365 after a thrilling win against Leylah Fernandez in the opening round of the Wuhan Open.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has enjoyed a fine year of success and is closing in on a return to the top 10 of the WTA Rankings.
While ranking success may not be a priority for the champion who has returned to the top of the sport after becoming a mother, she told Tennis365 in Wuhan that the pressure of climbing the rankings remains a concern.
“That’s kind of the tough part that I was dealing with today,” said Osaka.
“Of course, I want to end the year in the top 10, but I don’t want to stress myself out too much about it.
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“During the US swing, when I had a good run, I wasn’t really thinking about rankings, other than, like, getting seated in this land.
“But Tomasz (coach Wiktorowski). told me that there’s a like a little difference between being seeded like 16 or something. So I think that’s my goal for the end of the year.”
Osaka received great support from the modest crowd in Wuhan, with her status as a superstar in this region adding to the appeal of these end-of-season tournaments.
Yet she admits the appetite to challenge for ranking points without a Grand Slam tournament on the horizon adds to the challenge.
“Mentally, it was just really tough for me today,” she added.
“I think it’s a part of the season that’s just tough, you know. I think I’m, like, really happy to have gotten through it, and I think it’ll be easier from now on.
“Today, yeah, I mean, I feel like I just have to go for my shots more. I was kind of looking at the wall. You know, the people that I’ve known here previously, and they all seem to be big hitters, so I’m just trying to do that a little bit more.
“The support was great today. I’m just really grateful. I feel like whenever I come to China, everyone shows me a lot of love, and I appreciate it so much.
“I was thinking in Beijing that I get the best gifts in China, and I don’t know, it’s just really cute, and I feel like I’m happy to see everyone, and everyone’s also happy to see me. So it’s a really good energy.”
Osaka’s 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win against Fernandez was played in sweltering conditions in Wuhan, with tournament officials forced to invoke the heat rule for a second day in succession.
That meant the roof was partially closed for the match that followed Osaka on the Centre Court in Wuhan, but that did not help Emma Raducanu, who was forced to retire against America’s Ann Li after feeling dizzy.
READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu forced to pull out of match amid worrying scenes in Wuhan
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