Naomi Osaka Will Comeback At Brisbane International Later This Year

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka will appear at Brisbane International at the end of 2023 (photo: INSTAGRAM)

JAKARTA Tennis player Naomi Osaka has confirmed that she will make a comeback at Brisbane International later this year after taking a long break due to pregnancy.

The owner of four Grand Slam titles from Japan has not played in a tournament since his last appearance at Toray Pan Pacific in September 2022 in Tokyo.

"I'm really excited to get back on the pitch and compete. I'm always happy to start my season at Brisbane and can't wait to get back on," Osaka said, quoted by the WTA website.

The WTA 500 level Brisbane International will start on December 31 and end on January 7, 2024. This is a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open.

Osaka confirmed playing in the event after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, in July this year. Previously, the 26-year-old tennis player achieved the best results in this event as a semifinalist in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

"Brisbane International is an incredible tournament and will prepare me for a brilliant comeback this summer," Osaka said.

Osaka was recorded as lifting four grand slams each at the 2019 and 2021 Australian Opens and the US Open in 2018 and 2020. This achievement made him ranked first in the world.

Apart from Osaka, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has also been confirmed to appear in Brisbane.

Azarenka has enjoyed consistent success in Brisbane. He set a 15-2 win-goal record and won titles in 2009 and 2016.