NEW YORK: Naomi Osaka, sporting a canary yellow off-shoulder dress, returned to the US Open, the site of her great triumphs, and confirmed that her 2024 comeback was on track.
The two-time champion, a mental health activist, has been on a maternity break. The 25-year-old Japanese, whose daughter Shai was born two months ago, will play tournaments leading into the Australian Open in January.
Osaka, the former No. 1, who has not played since Tokyo in September 2022, aims to kick off her comeback at the start of the next season.
In an interview with ESPN, Osaka said she planned to play a more robust schedule as she eases back into the game.
“It’s definitely way more tournaments than I used to play,” she said. “So, I think some people will be happy with that. It’s because I realized that I don’t know how the beginning of the year is going to go for me. I don’t know the level of play and I think I have to ease into it. So, at the very least, I’ll set myself up for a very good end of the year.”
Osaka was at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to participate in the US Open’s forum on mental health alongside swimming legend Michael Phelps, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy and USTA Chairman of the Board and NCAA Chief Medical Officer Dr Brian Hainline.
