Naomi Osaka was all smiles as she practiced in Brisbane on Wednesday ahead of the four-time Grand Slam champion’s highly-anticipated return to tennis.
The former world No 1 is set to make her comeback in Brisbane in the coming days after spending a year out of the sport to give birth to her first child.
Less than six months since she welcomed daughter Shai into the world with her rapper boyfriend Cordae, Osaka will return at the warmup event for the Australian Open before taking to the court for the big one later in January.
And she showed no sign of rustiness in footage posted to her Instagram, hitting a series of fierce forehands from the baseline.
Pictures from the same training session showed Osaka in great spirits alongside her Belgian coach Wim Fissette at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane.
Naomi Osaka practiced in Brisbane on Wednesday ahead of her highly-anticipated return
It comes less than six months after the four-time Grand Slam champion gave birth
Osaka will return at the warmup event for the Australian Open before her Grand Slam return
Osaka hasn’t played a tournament on the WTA Tour since the 2022 Toray Pan Pacific in Tokyo
Osaka, who hasn’t played a tournament on the WTA Tour since the 2022 Toray Pan Pacific in Tokyo, will find out her first-round opponent when the draw is made on Sunday.
Earlier this month, she lifted the lid on her experience in labor and the unrivaled pain it brought her.
‘I do remember feeling in that moment, this is the worst pain of my life,’ she said in an interview with InStyle.
‘And I know that if I get through this, then everything else will feel very easy.’
She added: ‘I don’t think people know how hard pregnancy is; no one really talks about it as much.
‘Going into it, you kind of think: “Oh, it’s this beautiful journey.” But it’s kind of rough.’
The former world No 1 has been with Cordae since 2019, but after giving birth to Shai the couple sparked fears that they had split just months into their journey as parents.
Osaka has spent a year out of tennis after giving birth to her first child, Shai, back in July
The four-time Grand Slam champion says labor was the worst pain she has ever experienced
Osaka has been in a relationship with rapper Cordae since 2019. The couple pictured in 2020
Osaka has shut down that speculation, nevertheless, after revealing about their relationship: ‘We built a really good foundation. I don’t know if it’s because he’s just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other’s opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out.
‘At the end of the day, we both want what’s best for Shai.’
As well as achieve success on the tennis court, Osaka has also spoken candidly about her battles with mental health in recent years.
The Japanese star withdrew from the 2021 French Open, revealing that she has previously struggled with depression after her refusal to give post-match interviews had been criticized.
Ahead of her highly-anticipated comeback, Osaka still prides herself on being a mental-health advocate, urging people to speak openly about their issues.
‘I just want people to talk about [mental health] and not feel ashamed,’ she said. ‘Normalize it.’
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