'Dilemma' forces Naomi Osaka to rethink future as Aussie continues rich vein of form

(Getty/Chris Arjoon)

Former world No.1 Naomi Osaka is beginning to question her future in the sport in the wake of another early exit, describing her situation as a "dilemma".

The four-time major winner bowed out in the second round of the WTA 1000 Miami Open to in-form Aussie Talia Gibson 5-7, 4-6, where Osaka was unable to break her opponent's serve once.

Since reaching the US Open semi-finals last year, Osaka has yet to win more than two matches in one tournament.

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Having returned to the tour in January 2024 following a maternity break, the 28-year-old is trying to balance her tennis commitments with motherhood.

"I feel like this also is a dilemma for me," Osaka told the media when asked about her clay season plans.

"Obviously, I would love to play, but like I said last year… for me, my daughter is very important, and I want to be a mum. I want to be the best mum I can, but sometimes I feel like I know what I have to do to become a really good player, and it's very difficult.

"I'm not going to play Charleston. I hope I can play Madrid, Rome and then obviously the French Open."

For Gibson, it marks her fourth top 20 scalp in the space of 15 days, having already defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson, and Jasmine Paolini en route to the Indian Wells last eight.

"I was able to draw on some experiences from Indian Wells to stay calm," Gibson said.

"It's been really cool to see what I am capable of, and it's really exciting for me."

The 21-year-old from Perth shoots up to No.63 in the live rankings and will next face 18th seed Iva Jovic with a spot in the fourth round on the line.

Gibson is the last Australian standing in both the men's and women's draws, as fifth seed Alex de Minaur suffered a straight sets loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.

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