Naomi Osaka admits she found it "hard" plummeting down world rankings

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has admitted she found it “hard” to plummet down the world rankings.

The four-time Grand Slam champion has fallen to 48th in the standings after two difficult years on the WTA Tour.

Osaka held the world number one spot for two periods in 2019, and remained in the world top 10 as she won both the US Open and Australian Open for a second time.

But her decline started last year after she stepped away from tennis due to mental health struggles, and the 24-year-old has not been able to find her feet again since.

“It was kind of hard at first, just because I feel like I should be somewhere where I’m obviously currently not,” Osaka said.

“I think for me it’s more about being at peace with myself. I know that I’m here for a reason.”

The Japanese star suffered first round defeats at the French Open and US Open, and skipped Wimbledon with an achilles injury.

“This year has not been the best year for me but I’ve learned a lot about myself,” Osaka said.

“Life is ups and downs, and this year was more down than up, but overall I’m pretty happy with where I am now.”

Osaka is defending her title at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, a WTA 500 event which returns after a three-year absence following the coronavirus pandemic.

She faces stiff competition from US Open semifinalist Caroline Garcia, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and world number four Paula Badosa.

Osaka is set to be in action tomorrow, with her first match against Australia’s Daria Saville, the current world number 55.

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