Naomi Osaka

Former World No1 Naomi Osaka will return to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, five years since her last appearance in the competition.

After a 15-month break from competitive action for personal reasons, the four-time major champion made a comeback at the Brisbane International and Australian Open last month before appearing at both the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and Qatar Open – where she has reached the round of 16.

It is the first WTA tournament in almost two years at which Osaka has won back-to-back matches.

She reckons she is beginning to find her stride again after becoming a mum.

“I feel like I’m a much better player now. In Australia, my returns weren’t as good and I don’t feel like I was as focused as I am now,” said the match winner.

On coming back physically after pregnancy she added: “It’s been a really tough journey.

“I felt like I was chasing myself in the past and it honestly wasn’t really healthy to do.

“After giving birth, I feel I trained really quickly, I’m a very big perfectionist and it’s tough when you don’t see results as quickly.

“I felt like I was driving a car that wasn’t mine. So my body didn’t feel like the body that I was used to.”

“It was in that journey I felt like I learned how to love myself as I am now. I got to wake up every day and see my daughter and know that I was strong enough for her to come into this world.”

Talking about her defeat in Abu Dhabi Open, she said: “It definitely is hard for me to not be tough on myself, but after Abu Dhabi I actually have more confidence in myself, which is a little strange,” Osaka told reporters.

“I feel like since I have seen the worst that can happen, everything else is a plus. In Australia I knew that I said I was only going to play in Dubai, so I feel like I have to take these tournaments as extra credit.

Osaka, who gave birth to her first child while she was away from the court, joins an already star-studded line up for the WTA Tour event – recently awarded permanent WTA 1000 status – with 17 of the world’s top 20 players in action.

Unsurprisingly, Osaka credits motherhood for her change in mindset. After coming through a dark spell in 2022 when she struggled to find any semblance of joy on the court, Osaka is motivated by her desire to be a good role model for her daughter.

“I think in the time I had away, I appreciated the sport a lot more,” Osaka said. “After giving birth, I understood how physical and how much work it takes to get there.”

Osaka described childbirth as the most painful experience of her life. She detailed the complications and anxieties in an interview with In Style magazine. But coming through the experience has given Osaka a newfound respect for her body,  and faith that her physicality won’t hold her back.

“In the first couple of months I was definitely nervous because I wasn’t in my own body,” Osaka said. “I was driving the wrong car, if that makes sense. Slowly, step by step we put in so much work and got myself to where I am now.”

“I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t feel ready. I didn’t want to disappoint the people who were excited for me to come back and I didn’t want to disappoint myself.”

World No.1 Iga Swiatek, two-time Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff will feature alongside Osaka at the 24th edition of the WTA Tour tournament.

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, said on Osaka’s participation at the upcoming tournament: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Naomi back to Dubai for the latest installment of the WTA tournament, with many of the world’s best female players competing in the event.”

Osaka, a two-time winner at both the US Open and Australian Open, has spoken candidly about her mental health battles – most notably in an intimate and insightful Netflix documentary into her world.

Ranked a modest 48 in the world, Osaka then 20, reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2018 as a wildcard. It was after defeat to top seed Elina Svitolina that she took her first steps to stardom by winning the Indian Wells title, and just a few months later she stunned the tennis world, with a historic victory over Serena Williams in the US Open final.

“We’re delighted to have Naomi with us in Dubai for this year’s tournament,” added Salah Tahlak, Joint COO of Dubai Duty Free and Tournament Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. “We have such a strong women’s line up this year, so having someone of Naomi’s pedigree and stature is even more good news.”