Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka’s emotional return to the WTA after becoming a mother: how her daughter Shai helped her achieve victory in Brisbane

Motherhood helped her Naomi Osaka to put together a new mentality when things get complicated on the pitch. This Monday, in the early hours of 2024, the Japanese woman she was number 1 in the WTA rankings he played his first official match since September 2022 and needed four match points to beat the German Tamara Korpatsch making her debut at the Brisbane tournament.

It was with sets of 6-3 and 7-6 (9) that Osaka achieved victory after giving birth Shai, last July in Los Angeles, the fruit of her love with the rapper Cordae. The Japanese player did not play last year’s Australian Open and later revealed she was pregnant.

“It’s a big change from one day to the next.”said Osaka about her return to the circuit as a mother after 15 months. “I like it a lot because (…) somehow I think (Shai) helped me grow a lot and very quickly”complete.

“Off the track I’m more aware of people and I appreciate them a lot more, even my rivals and everything.”he observed, and added: “On the pitch it helps me to be stronger and more present in the moment”.

This Monday, every time he missed an opportunity to seal his victory, he pulled himself together and focused on getting another chance.

“I was very nervous the whole time. Part of me felt like Shai was watching me. “I wanted to do my best for her.”Osaka acknowledged.

Until Monday, the Japanese had not played professionally since falling in the first round of the US Open in 2022.

In the second round the former number one will also be measured Karolina Pliskovawho was crowned three times in Brisbane.

Persistent rain forced the suspension of matches on the outdoor courts, concentrating the action on the main indoor court.

Nadal returns and Argentine tennis players make their debut

In the men’s draw, the first seed, Rune Holgerhe came from behind to get rid of Max Purcell by 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and the second seed Grigor Dimitrov won 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 Andy Murray in a two and a half hour night duel between two former Brisbane champions.

Ben Shelton (3rd), the 21-year-old American who reached the semifinals of the US Open last year, fell 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 Roman Saphiullinus.

Tuesday in Brisbane has its biggest attraction the return of the Spaniard Rafael Nadalwho will play a singles match after struggling for almost a year with physical problems.

The Majorcan, number 672 in the ranking and invited by the tournament organisation, will face the Austrian Domenico Thiemformer top ten player, 2020 US Open champion and finalist of the Grand Slam tournaments in Australia (2020) and Roland Garros (2018 and 2019).

Nadal played his last singles in January 2023 when he lost to American Mckenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open. This Sunday he reappeared in a doubles match with his compatriot Marc López and lost against the local pair Max Purcell-Jordan Thompson 6-4, 6-4.

Meanwhile the Argentines Sebastiano Baez AND Tomás Martín Etcheverry Their debut will take place on Monday evening (Tuesday morning in Australia), in the tournament that opens the professional tennis season ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.

Báez, seeded sixth, will be the first to take to the court from 10pm in Argentina to face the Slovakian Luca Kleinentered the main draw after passing two matches in the previous ranking.

In the same court number 2, already at dawn on Tuesday, Giulia Riera – the only Argentine in the women’s branch – will play against the Bulgarian Viktoria Tomovabut first, in the second round of field 10, the player from La Plata Engraving Against the Czech he will try to establish himself as seventh favorite Tomas Machacanother rival coming from “qualy”.