Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts during her third round match against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic REUTERS / Mike Segar
Naomi Osaka broke out of the world’s top 10 on Monday for the first time since winning the 2018 US Open title as she continues to take a break from tennis.
The Japanese star, a former world number one, has not played since exiting the US Open in the third round last month.
Osaka has dropped to 12th place in the WTA rankings, her lowest mark since before her first of four Grand Slam titles at Flushing Meadows three years ago, when she beat Serena Williams in an infamous final.
Last week, the 23-year-old said her return would be “probably soon” and that “something” has “that itch again.”
Osaka had previously withdrawn from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon this year to protect her sanity.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza jumped to sixth place in the standings after winning the title in Chicago last week.
Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who lost to Muguruza in the final, climbed to 14th in his career rankings.
WTA Top 20 on October 4:
1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 9,077 pts
2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 7.115
3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,285
4. Iga Swiatek (POL) 4,756
5. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 4,668
6. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4.595 (+3)
7. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4.376 (-1)
8. Sofia Kenin (United States) 4,190
9. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 4,055 (+1)
10. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3,835 (+2)
11. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 3,735
12. Naomi Osaka (Japan) 3,326 (-5)
13. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 3,255
14. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 3220 (+2)
15. Angelique Kerber (Germany) 3,105 (-1)
16. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 2,983 (+1)
17. Simona Halep (ROM) 2.982 (-2)
18th Elise Mertens (BEL) 2,885
19. Cori Gauff (United States) 2,815
20. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 2,616 (+3)
Selected:
22. Emma Raducanu (GBR) 2,558
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