"Trust that next year is gonna come with lots of trophies" - Tennis fans send special wishes to Naomi Osaka on her 25th birthday

Naomi Osaka received a bunch of special wishes from her fans as the Japanese superstar celebrated her 25th birthday on Sunday. Osaka has experienced one of her toughest seasons on tour so far and many fans wished her success for the 2023 season.

Osaka has played just 23 singles matches all season, in a year that has seen her struggle a lot with injuries. She has not played on tour in almost a month since her withdrawal at the Japan Open.

Despite recent struggles, Sunday was a day of celebration for the four-time Grand Slam champion and her fans flooded social media with positive messages on the occasion.

"Happy 25th birthday to Naomi Osaka. Hope you have an amazing day. Trust that next year is gonna come with lots of trophies. Starting with AO," a Twitter user wrote.

"Happy Birthday Naomi Osaka! Thank you for being such an incredible role model and person over the years! Your strength, vulnerability, talent and desire to make the world a better place is why I’ll always be a fan and root for you. Enjoy your birthday," another fan tweeted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans on the occasion of Osaka's 25th birthday:

"This year was more down than up, but overall I'm pretty happy with where I am now" - Naomi Osaka

2022 US Open - Day 2

Naomi Osaka admitted that she has had a highly challenging year, particularly on the tennis court, but has learned a lot about herself. Osaka stated that she is happy with where she is despite the difficulties,

"This year has not been the best year for me but I've learned a lot about myself. Life is ups and downs, and this year was more down than up, but overall I'm pretty happy with where I am now," Osaka said during a press conference at the Japan Open.

The two-time US Open champion went on to speak about her huge drop in the WTA Rankings this season, particularly given that she is a former world No. 1. Osaka expressed disappointment at failing to climb up the rankings of late, but emphasized that she is trying to look at the positives in every situation.

"It was kind of hard at first, just because I feel like I should be somewhere where I'm obviously currently not. I think for me it's more about being at peace with myself. I know that I'm here for a reason," Osaka added.