After an absence from professional tennis for over a year, Naomi Osaka is gearing up for her highly anticipated return. Having last competed at the 2022 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan, the former World No. 1 took a hiatus from the sport in 2023 due to pregnancy. In July, she welcomed a baby girl named Shai with her boyfriend Cordae and resumed training in October to prepare for her comeback.
Recently, Osaka spoke with the Japanese broadcaster NHK following one of her training sessions in Los Angeles alongside her coach. The 26-year-old expressed her aspirations for the upcoming 2024 season, aiming to elevate her understanding of the game and become a more dominant force at prestigious tournaments, particularly the Grand Slams.
Expressing her desire to excel at the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships, Naomi Osaka highlighted these Majors as focal points for her performance. Additionally, she has set her sights on participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, aiming to make a significant impact at the event.
“I think I want to be someone that understands the game a lot more. I definitely want to win more Grand Slams and I guess put in more time in the French Open and Wimbledon, and play the Paris Olympics,” she stated in an interview (via Eurosport).
Osaka boasts an impressive record as a four-time Grand Slam champion, clinching titles twice at both the Australian Open and the US Open. However, her track record at the other two Majors has fallen short of her high standards, primarily due to her struggles on non-hard-court surfaces. Her best performances at the Wimbledon Championships and the French Open have resulted in multiple third-round appearances.
At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, representing Japan, Osaka entered as the No. 2 seed. Despite victories against Zheng Saisai of China and Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, she faced defeat against eventual runner-up Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the third round.
As Naomi Osaka prepares to re-enter the competitive tennis circuit, her ambitions for 2024 indicate a determined drive to enhance her game and leave a more resounding mark in the sport’s most prestigious tournaments. Her return to the court is highly anticipated, with fans eager to witness her pursuit of further Grand Slam success and a memorable performance at the Paris Olympics.
Naomi Osaka in 2023
LWLWLWLLWL Now ranked no.661, the Japanese played her last match on the 20th of September 2022 when she had to retire when playing against world no.203 Daria Gavrilova in the 1st round and the scoreline was 1-0 .
Currently, during this season the Japanese has a composed 14-9 match record.
Naomi Osaka |
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