Naomi Osaka confirms location of her first tournament in comeback 2024 season
Naomi Osaka's tennis comeback has been confirmed, with the Japanese star set to participate in the Brisbane International in January next year.
Osaka has been away from the action since September last year due to her pregnancy. Having given birth to a baby daughter, Shai, in July this year, she resumed her training for a potential comeback in 2024.
With the four-time Grand Slam champion always stating that the season-opening Australian Open was her goal, the Brisbane International will make for an ideal tournament for her to get back into match rhythm.
The event, which started in 2009, is played on outdoor hardcourts in Brisbane, Queensland, and is a WTA 500 event. Its past champions include Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka.
The tournament took to social media on November 10 to make the announcement, stating:
"Back on court and back in BRISBANE! We are so ready for your return, @naomiosaka"
Osaka responded to the post and said:
"First tournament next year, so excited, I haven’t been to Brisbane in a while."
Naomi Osaka puts together a strong team ahead of her tennis comeback
Naomi Osaka has hired renowned Belgian tennis coach Wim Fissette to help her ahead of her tennis comeback.
Osaka and Fissette have collaborated previously too. They began working together shortly before the 2020 season and under his guidance, Osaka won two Grand Slam titles (2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open). They eventually parted ways in 2022.
Their renewed association has, however, come under scrutiny as Fissette unceremoniously dropped Qinwen Zheng to work with the former World No. 1. The Chinese player has accused the coach of breaching the contract to join Osaka's team.
Similarly, Osaka has reunited with famous performance coach Florian Zitzelsberger ahead of her comeback. Zitzelsberger was a part of her team last year before she took a maternity break.
The German recently spoke about reworking with Osaka and expressed hopes that she will vie for top honors when she makes her return to the sport.
"She’s super motivated and I’m super pumped to help her. She inspires the whole team with this champion mindset: she just wants to go for it. I’m hoping her opponents will read this and get a little bit afraid of her!" he said.
"Where she is today is what makes working with her so inspiring. She wants to get back to world No. 1, she wants to win Grand Slams," he added.