“Yeah, I think my mindset now is probably the clearest it’s been in a very long time,” said Japanese Naomi Osaka before making her latest Grand Slam appearance Down Under since becoming a mother. However, her return didn’t go as planned, as she faced an early exit from the Happy Slam. But was that part of her plan? Admittedly not. Still, a comeback is always possible in sports, isn’t it? And now, despite the heartbreak at the start of the season, the former WTA No. 1 recently shared her reaction after receiving a special message from a billion-dollar brand. And guess what? It’s not from one of her regular sponsors!

The first Asian to achieve a No. 1 singles ranking in WTA, Naomi Osaka’s career has not been the same since her return from maternity leave. Her streak of bowing out and delivering in-court ‘walkovers’ also continues, dating back to the China Open last season when she withdrew in the RO16 against American Coco Gauff. Since then, she has retired mid-match twice more; first in the ASB Classic final, a pre-season warm-up event, against Danish Clara Tauson and then in the Australian Open third round on January 17th, after losing the first set to Swiss Belinda Bencic 7-6 (7-3). However, as she gears up to get back to the court, the Japanese recently took to her social media to share a picture showcasing a special gift from none other than Calvin Klein.

Just a couple of hours ago, Naomi Osaka appeared on Instagram to share a story about a gift she received from Calvin Klein. The picture revealed a branded bag along with a sweatshirt featuring the word “Calvin”. The $1.5bn company also added a handwritten note, saying, “Stay Warm! XX CK”. Expressing her gratitude at the gesture, the Japanese thanked the company by tagging the brand in her post with the emojis, “🥹❤️”. However, this isn’t the first time the Japanese star has showcased her love for fashion brands.

Naomi gave fans a glimpse of her latest collaboration with Nike, her long-time fashion sponsor last year. The four-time GS champion signed a $10 million annual deal with Nike in 2019, and since then, the sports brand has stylishly supported her in every way. In November, the “NO x Nike” collaboration set tennis fashion ablaze when the Japanese shared her new collection on her Instagram story, captioning it with “When I said this next NO x Nike drop was about to be something serious I wasn’t lying,”. And the apparel? The drop included a maroon jacket featuring intricate mesh-like detailing and a white jacket with a gold zipper, both embodying her signature style on and off-court.

Beyond her fashion collaborations in real life, Naomi star is undoubtedly eager to find success on the court, having not won a GS since the 2021 AO. However, luck doesn’t seem to be on her side just yet, as she recently withdrew from one of the Middle East swing tournaments.

Naomi Osaka withdraws from the Abu Dhabi Open after missing out on main draw

The struggle with injuries continues! The two-time AO champion was forced to retire from her R3 match at the recently concluded tournament because of a stomach muscle injury. She required treatment at 6-5 in the first set before eventually losing it in a tie-break, allowing her Swiss opponent, Belinda Bencic, to advance to the fourth round. Her consecutive on-court retirements were a tough blow, and she later addressed her feelings about the setback in a post-match interview.

“I mean, it was a little hectic trying to manage it because obviously my draw was quite tough. But we were also doing everything we could. I was going to therapy every day and stuff like that into the night. So the days have been very long for me. Obviously after my last match it got way worse. It was just, I guess, a little inevitable. But I think the competitor in me just wanted to see it through until the end,” she added. And, her injury has caused Naomi big time as she recently withdrew from the Abu Dhabi Open.

The former twice US Open champion has withdrawn from the Abu Dhabi Open after failing to make it into the primary draw. Osaka’s return was delayed because of the same abdominal injury she sustained at the AO. She faced two choices: compete in the ‘qualifiers’ or rely on withdrawals from the already established main draw. With her name now removed, she may take some more time to recover before returning to the court in place, where she made her debut in 2024, only to lose in the first round to Danielle Collins.

It is now expected that Osaka will participate in the star-studded exhibition match on March 1st and 2nd in Las Vegas. Will she be able to make it to the event, though? Only time will tell.