Naomi Osaka Helped Carry Japan to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals With Impressive Win

Naomi Osaka / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In November, 12 countries will compete for the Billie Jean King Cup, the biggest annual international team competition in women’s professional tennis. The competition will see several returning teams, including the 2023 champions (Canada) and runners-up (Italy), along with a couple of first-timers, too. Among the countries making their first appearance in the annual competition is Japan, who defeated Kazakhstan in the April qualifiers for their spot in the late-season finals.

The country went 3-1 in the qualifiers to secure their place in the draw in November. They were helped to victory by Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1, who returned to tennis in January following a year of maternity leave.

The Japanese squad had home-field advantage, hosting Kazakhstan in Tokyo to determine who would punch their ticket to the finals. They certainly used it to their advantage, too, handily beating their opponents 3-1.

Osaka played an integral role in the defeat. In the second of the five match competition, she defeated Yulia Putintseva in straight sets to give Japan a 2-0 edge over Kazakhstan. The 26-year-old was gearing up to play her second match against Anna Danilina when the competition was called in Japan’s favor.

In addition to the joy of winning, Osaka expressed gratitude for the chance to be back in her native Japan. “It’s nice to be back Tokyo,” she wrote in an Instagram caption following the qualifiers.

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There is a lot of tennis to be played between now and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November, but there is no doubt Osaka is looking forward to taking the court again on behalf of Japan.