Japan tennis star Naomi Osaka has dropped out of the WTA Tour’s top 10 for the first time since winning the 2018 US Open.

Full WTA rankings

The 23-year-old, a former world number one who has won four Grand Slams, has not played since exiting the US Open in the third round last month.

Osaka has fallen five spots to 12th in the latest WTA rankings – her lowest mark since before she beat Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open final for her first major.

Last week, Osaka said her return to the sport would be “probably soon” and that she “kind of” has “that itch again”.

Earlier this year, Osaka quit at the French Open and skipper Wimbledon, citing mental health issues.

Australian Ashleigh Barty, this year’s Wimbledon champion, continues to lead the rankings, while Spain’s Garbine Muguruza climbed three spots to No 6 after beating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the final of the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic.

WTA Tour top 20 on 4 October 2021:

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 (USA) 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 (JPN) 3,326 (-5)

13. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 3,255

14. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 3,220 (+2)

15. Angelique Kerber (GER) 3,105 (-1)

16. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 2,983 (+1)

17. Simona Halep (ROM) 2,982 (-2)

18. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2,885

19. Cori Gauff (USA) 2,815

20. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 2,616 (+3)

Selected:

22. Emma Raducanu (GBR) 2,558

Picture: Naomi Osaka – US Open Tennis/Twitter

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