Osaka says she’ll return stronger after latest low, Tokyo exit to Pohankova

Former world number one Naomi Osaka said she would “keep attempting” to get back to her Grand Slam-winning best after her season ended with a second-round exit in Japan on Thursday. The four-time Grand Slam champion lost 6-3, 7-5 to 18-year-old Slovak Mia Pohankova, ranked 144 in the world, at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Osaka has not won a title this year and has not reached a Grand Slam final since she returned to tennis after a 15-month break following the birth of her daughter Shai in 2023. The 29-year-old, now ranked 18 in the world, said she was “at peace” with herself and feeling good about her game. “Obviously when I play a slam, it’s in my mind to challenge for it,” she said.