Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is scheduled to participate in a WTA 125 tournament for the first time in a decade. She has accepted a wild card entry into the upcoming L`Open 35 de Saint-Malo event.
The tournament organizers announced Osaka`s inclusion as a late addition via social media on Thursday. They stated that the former World No. 1 is ready to “make some noise” in her debut at the event.
This move follows an extensive training period on clay courts in France with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. During this training, she reportedly felt “stronger” and prepared to “grind it out” if necessary on the surface. However, in her most recent competitive match, Osaka was defeated in the first round of the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday by Italy`s Lucia Bronzetti in three sets. This was her first match in a month, coming after her fourth-round loss to Paolini at the Miami Open.
According to WTA rules, players ranked No. 11 or lower are permitted to compete in a WTA 125 event during the second week of a Grand Slam or a mandatory WTA 1000 tournament, provided they have already been eliminated from the larger event.
Osaka`s only previous appearance at a WTA 125 tournament was in November 2015 in Hua Hin, Thailand, where she reached the final as an 18-year-old ranked 203rd. Her decision to return to this level is motivated by a desire to gain more consistent match play, particularly on clay, a surface she is still working to master.
Osaka`s season record stands at 9-5, though she has compiled a 3-3 record since January. This period included retirements from the ASB Classic final and the Australian Open fourth round due to an abdominal injury.
Main draw matches in Saint-Malo are set to begin on Monday. Ranked 55th, Osaka is expected to be the second seed in the tournament, likely behind world No. 53 Alycia Parks. The field also features other notable players including Varvara Gracheva (expected top seed), Americans Caroline Dolehide and Katie Volynets, and former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria.
Since the tournament was upgraded to WTA 125 status in 2021, its list of past champions includes Beatriz Haddad Maia and Sloane Stephens. Jasmine Paolini finished as the runner-up in the event`s first edition at this level.
Rupert Caldwell