Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka is set to participate in a WTA 125 tournament for the first time in a decade, accepting a wild card entry into the upcoming L`Open 35 de Saint-Malo event.
Tournament organizers confirmed Osaka`s late inclusion via social media on Thursday, expressing anticipation for the former World No. 1 to make a significant impact upon her debut.
This follows a period of extensive clay court training in France with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, during which she indicated feeling stronger and prepared for tough matches. Recently, Osaka experienced a first-round defeat at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday against Lucia Bronzetti in three sets. This marked her first competitive match in a month, after her exit in the fourth round of the Miami Open against Paolini.
According to WTA regulations, players ranked No. 11 or lower are permitted to compete in a WTA 125 event held concurrently with the second week of a Grand Slam or mandatory WTA 1000 tournament, provided they have already been eliminated from the larger event.
Osaka`s only previous appearance at the WTA 125 level was in November 2015, where she finished as runner-up in Hua Hin, Thailand, as an 18-year-old ranked No. 203. Her decision to return to this tournament category is aimed at securing more consistent match experience, particularly on clay, a surface she is still working to fully master.
Her season record stands at 9 wins and 5 losses. However, since January, her record is 3-3, primarily due to an abdominal injury that forced her retirement from the ASB Classic final (against Clara Tauson) and the fourth round of the Australian Open (against Belinda Bencic).
The main draw competition in Saint-Malo is scheduled to commence on Monday. Ranked 55th, Osaka is expected to be seeded No. 2 in the tournament, behind Alycia Parks (ranked No. 53). The field also includes other notable players such as Varvara Gracheva (No. 1 seed), Americans Caroline Dolehide and Katie Volynets, and former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria.
Since its upgrade to WTA 125 status in 2021, the Saint-Malo tournament has seen past champions like Beatriz Haddad Maia and Sloane Stephens, while Jasmine Paolini was the runner-up in its first edition at this level.
Rupert Caldwell