Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka has confirmed her intention to return to professional tennis in 2024. In an interview with ESPN, the 25-year-old four-time major champion shared her plans to play a more extensive tournament schedule next year.
Since her last appearance at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2022, Osaka has taken a break from competitive tennis. During this time, she welcomed her baby girl with rapper Cordae in July 2023, marking a significant personal milestone.
Osaka's return to tennis is eagerly awaited by fans, and she is gearing up for a packed season ahead. She acknowledges that her comeback will involve participating in more tournaments than she used to. "It's definitely way more tournaments than I used to play," Osaka stated during the interview. She believes that this approach will help her ease back into the game and set her up for a strong finish to the year.
When asked about her desire to return to tennis, Osaka expressed, "I've been watching matches and I'm like, 'I wish I was playing too.' But I'm in this position now, and I'm very grateful. I really love my daughter a lot, but I think it really fueled a fire in me."
Notably, Osaka has set her sights on returning for the 2024 Australian Open, an event she has previously triumphed in twice. Her decision to take a break from the sport was influenced by her desire to prepare for her return with a thoughtful approach.
The tennis star's hiatus from the game was marked by her public disclosures about her struggles with mental health. Following a stressful incident in 2021 during a mandatory news conference at Roland Garros, where she appeared visibly distressed, Osaka withdrew from the French Open and revealed her battle with "long bouts of depression" since her first major championship win in 2018.
In addition to her tennis comeback, Osaka has used her platform to advocate for mental health awareness. She recently participated in a forum on mental health at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where she was joined by legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Dr. Brian Hainline, chairman of the US Tennis Association's board and NCAA chief medical officer.
Reflecting on her role in raising awareness about mental health, Osaka said, "I feel like I am someone that's learning all the time. Obviously, I learned a lot from the talk as I was talking. My role is just raising awareness and letting people know that they're not alone."
Osaka also touched upon her feelings of loneliness during pregnancy, explaining that her familiarity with the tennis world made being away from it challenging. "Just being away from that for a long time, it was new for me. I think it was just the new situation and not being able to train like I wanted to, it made me feel like I would just stay at home. It felt like a lot of restrictions."
With her return planned for 2024, Naomi Osaka's comeback is poised to be a significant moment in the world of tennis.
