New mom Naomi Osaka to return to tennis at Brisbane International
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Naomi Osaka, who gave birth this summer to her first child, will end her tennis hiatus at Brisbane International 2024, the four-time Grand Slam champion and tournament officials announced.
"I am really excited about getting back out on court and competing," Osaka said Thursday in a tournament news release. "I always love starting my season in Brisbane and can't wait to return.
"The Brisbane International is such a great tournament and will set me up for a brilliant comeback this summer."
Osaka, 26, last played Sept. 20, 2022 in Tokyo at the Pan Pacific Open. She withdrew from that tournament two days later, citing illness. Osaka announced in January that she was pregnant and would miss the entire 2023 tennis season.
Osaka and her boyfriend, rapper Cordae, announced that their daughter, Shai, was born in early July. The tennis star, who attended the 2023 U.S. Open, posted footage from several practice sessions in October on Instagram.
The former world No. 1 was the No. 46 player in the WTA singles rankings on Sept. 26, 2022 and was No. 41 in December. She dropped to No. 661 during her hiatus.
The Brisbane International 2024, a warmup tournament for the Australian Open, will be held from Dec. 31 through Jan. 7 at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane.
Main draw play for the 2024 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam on the annual tennis calendar, will start Jan. 17 and end Jan. 29 in Melbourne. Osaka is a two-time Australian Open singles champion.
