Naomi Osaka's Time May Be 'Running Out': Tennis Great Martina Navratilova

Tennis star Naomi Osaka's time could be "running out" as far as a return to her Grand Slam form is concerned, suggests nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova.

In an interview ahead of the WTA Finals last week, Navratilova spoke to the press about the game before discussing Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, and saying that perhaps Osaka's success in the sport came too fast.

"Maybe it was too much too soon," Navratilova said, per Eurosport. "But, you know, that's when the gut check comes; do you really love the sport? It comes back to that. For six years, I did it all myself. Nowadays, so much is done for the players... Because there is so much more attention, and everything is magnified. At the same time, people forget about it. So you are a flash in the pan."

"I think the players need to just stay in the moment, and if they love the sport, great. If they don't, that's okay, too. But figure it out [and] make up your mind because time is running out," she said.

Osaka, 25, was a force to be reckoned with after her Grand Slam victory against Serena Williams in the final of the U.S. Open in 2018, which she followed up with another Grand Slam win in Australia, once again beating the legendary Williams. Osaka had been ranked number one in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and was the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles.

But Osaka, who is currently ranked number 42 by the WTA, has had to also defend herself and her mental health amid the pressures of the game and media scrutiny in the last year.

In 2021, the tennis star refused to participate in media engagements after a match in order to preserve her mental health and received a $15,000 fine, right before she announced her withdrawal from the French Open.

"The truth is I have suffered long bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that," she said in a statement at the time.

Her announcement ignited both support and backlash, and many questioned Osaka's commitment to the sport after also she withdrew from Wimbledon in 2021.

However, there are some who believe that Osaka is paving the way for athletes who struggle with mental health issues. Sports reporter Darren Rovell tweeted in June of last year: "Mark my words. In 20 years, Naomi Osaka will be known as the person who finally got the masses to understand that there is no difference between mental health and physical health. What she is doing here by withdrawing from Wimbledon is more than she can ever win on the court."

Newsweek reached out to a representative for Osaka for additional comment.

Update 11/10/22, 11:19 AM ET: This story has been updated with additional information.