"I'm turning into a tennis ball" - Naomi Osaka shares amusing glimpse of her off-season training ; apologizes for infrequent updates

Naomi Osaka recently provided fans with a hilarious look into her off-season training regimen. She also expressed regret for not updating her fans frequently about her off-season training.

Osaka last competed at the 2024 China Open, where she defeated Lucia Bronzetti, Yulia Putintseva, and Katie Volynets in the first three rounds. However, she had to retire from her fourth-round match against eventual champion Coco Gauff due to a lower back injury.

The four-time Grand Slam champion was set to compete at the Pan Pacific Open and represent Japan at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. However, she had to withdraw from both events due to her lower back injury and an additional abdominal injury, prematurely ending her 2024 season.

Recently, Osaka engaged with fans on social media in a question-and-answer session. When asked by a fan about her off-season, she stated that her training was going "good."

The four-time Grand Slam champion also shared a photo of her hand covered in tennis ball fuzz and jokingly mentioned that she was slowly turning into a "tennis ball."

“Good 😂 I think I'm turning into a tennis ball haha," Osaka mentioned.

When asked to share more about her training in the pre-season, Osaka apologized for not updating her fans and promised to post more frequently. She explained that she avoids sharing pictures and videos of her training sessions as she finds it disrespectful to use her phone during practice.

“Sorry I'll try my best 😅 I always think it's disrespectful to be on the phone during practice so I rarely get photos/videos. I'll try to ask someone to film something next time 😭 ," Osaka added.

One fan suggested that Naomi Osaka visit Argentina and explore the country with her hitting partner, Matias Zukas, who is from Argentina. In response, the former World No.1 responded by calling Zukas "unpredictable."

“This man Mati is unpredictable though 😭 ," Osaka wrote.

Screengrab of Naomi Osaka's Instagram stories

Osaka began her 2024 season at the Brisbane International, where she made it to the second round before being defeated by Karolina Pliskova. Her best performances this year were at the Qatar Open and the Libema Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before being bested by Pliskova and Bianca Andreescu, respectively.

Osaka participated in all four Grand Slam tournaments - she lost in the first round at the Australian Open and reached the second round at the French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open.

Naomi Osaka will begin her 2025 season at the ASB Classic

Naomi Osaka at the 2017 ASB Classic [Source: Getty]

Naomi Osaka will kick off her 2025 season at the ASB Classic. The WTA 250 hard court tournament is scheduled to start on December 30, 2024. On returning to Auckland to play at the 2025 ASB Classic, Osaka said, via ASB Classic:

“I am looking forward to just embracing the nature of Auckland and of course, playing in a tournament that I have not played in for a long time. I am excited to return to Auckland for the ASB Classic 2025. When I was there last time, I was fortunate to go on a helicopter tour and explore the beaches which I thought were really beautiful.”

This will mark Naomi Osaka's second appearance at the ASB Classic. She will be making her return to the event after a seven-year absence after last competing in the tournament in 2017, where she made it to the quarterfinals before she retired from her match against eventual runner-up Ana Konjuh.