Naomi Osaka Wins Her First Match Back on the Court in Over a Year

The athlete is on her comeback tour, and it has the potential to be a good one.

Naomi Osaka.Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

After over a year away from the game, Naomi Osaka is officially back in action on the tennis court. The Japanese athlete last set foot on the court for a professional match in 2022, shortly before she announced her first pregnancy and temporarily stepped away from the game.

Following the birth of her daughter in July, the former world No. 1 has been itching to return to her sport, admitting in a recent interview that she was back to practice within weeks of giving birth. While attending the US Open in late August and early September of last year, Osaka revealed that she had every intention of filling her playing schedule for the year and making a full comeback in January.

And the comeback has officially begun. After months and months away, she is back on the court and securing wins yet again. The athlete played in the first round of the Brisbane International on Dec. 31, and secured her first win for the calendar year.

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In a well-played match, the athlete came out on top of German professional Tamara Korpatsch, winning in straight sets.

The 26-year-old is set to play again tonight at 8 p.m. ET, hoping to continue her comeback run. Regardless of the outcome, though, Osaka has her eyes set on Australian Open play. The first Grand Slam of the 2024 season is set to start in mid-January in Melbourne, and the tennis champion will be looking to add to her 2019 and 2021 titles there.

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