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Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa both bore their fair share of struggles on the tennis courts in 2025. Now, as the season comes to a close, both the WTA stars reflected on their years and shared some heartfelt messages with fans.For Osaka, the 2025 season got off to a difficult start. While the Japanese player made the finals in her season debut at the ASB Classic, she soon ran into injury issues that prevented her from performing at her best in the next few tournaments. However, in the second half of the year, the 28-year-old made some major changes, including splitting up with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.After that, Naomi Osaka went on to reach the finals of the National Bank Open and the semifinals of the US Open. While a left leg injury she sustained in October forced her to end her season earlier than expected, the Grand Slam champion expressed her gratitude for her season and her daughter Shai in an Instagram post, writing,“Took me a while to get my thoughts together but here's my end of year recap for 2025. When I sit and think about it I just feel very thankful for this year. I'm thankful for my health and being able to wake up each day ready to chase my dreams. I'm also grateful for being able to travel and see the world with my daughter.”“I’m so honored that I have such amazing people that support me. I always say this but I really mean it each time, I don't know what I did to deserve all this love and support but thank you infinitely for it. I will never be able to pay you back but I'll try my best! See you guys next year,” she added. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMeanwhile, Paula Badosa got her 2025 off to a strong start, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. She followed this up with a quarterfinals appearance at the Internationaux de Strasbourg and the Berlin Tennis Open. However, ongoing back issues forced the Spaniard to miss a majority of the tennis season after the Wimbledon Championships. Reflecting on her struggles, Badosa wrote,“Slometimes life shakes us so hard that we think we won't be able to get up. We go through moments when the soul breaks in silence, where doubts weigh more than hope, and where the inner noise lets nothing be heard. But it's right there, in that void, where something sacred begins: the reunion with oneself.”She went on to emphasize the importance of healing, adding,“There comes a time when you understand you don't need anything external to feel complete. That serenity is born when you stop looking outside what was always inside. And that's when everything changes: what used to hurt, now teaches; what used to weigh, now drives. Because when you heal, you not only free yourself from the past, you reconcile with life. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostNaomi Osaka announces first tournament of 2026 seasonNaomi Osaka at the 2025 Wuhan Open (Image Source: Getty)Naomi Osaka was last seen in action on home ground at the Japan Open. The 28-year-old got her tournament off to a strong start, disposing of Sonobe Wakana and Suzane Lamens in her opening round matches. However, she was forced to pull out of her quarterfinals match against Jaqueline Cristian due to an injury she sustained in her clash against Lamens.Now, Naomi Osaka has announced that she will be returning to the tennis courts in 2026 at the ASB Classic. The event is also set to feature the legendary Venus Williams. Osaka last competed at the ASB Classic in 2025, when she claimed a runners-up finish at the event.
