Four-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has accepted a wild card to compete in next week`s L`Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 level tournament. This appearance marks her first time playing at this level in a decade. In the first round of the event, she is scheduled to play against 19-year-old Croatian player Petra Marcinko.
The tournament organizers officially announced Naomi Osaka`s participation as a late addition through social media on Thursday. Their message expressed excitement about the former World No. 1 joining the event and anticipated her making a notable impact in her debut there.
Prior to this, Osaka underwent an extensive training period on clay courts in France under the guidance of her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. During this time, she conveyed feeling physically “stronger” and prepared to “grind it out” in demanding matches. However, her return to competitive play on clay saw her exit in the first round of the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday, following a three-set loss to Italy`s Lucia Bronzetti. This match was her first since her fourth-round defeat to Paolini at the Miami Open a month earlier.
According to WTA regulations, players ranked No. 11 or lower are eligible to participate in a WTA 125 event during the second week of a Grand Slam or a mandatory WTA 1000 tournament, provided they have already been eliminated from the main draw of the larger event.
Osaka`s only previous experience at a WTA 125 tournament was in November 2015 in Hua Hin, Thailand. As an 18-year-old ranked No. 203, she finished as the runner-up. Her decision to return to this circuit level is primarily driven by the goal of accumulating more consistent match practice, especially on clay, a surface she openly admits she is still striving to master.
Her overall win-loss record for the current season is 9-5. However, her performance since January has been less consistent, standing at 3-3. This recent slump was partly influenced by an abdominal injury that forced her to retire from both the ASB Classic final (against Clara Tauson) and the fourth round of the Australian Open (against Belinda Bencic).
Main draw competition at the Saint-Malo tournament is set to commence on Monday. Ranked No. 55 globally, Osaka is expected to enter the draw as the second seed, positioned behind No. 53 Alycia Parks. The field also features other notable players, including top seed Varvara Gracheva, American players Caroline Dolehide and Katie Volynets, and former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria.
Since its upgrade to WTA 125 status in 2021, the Saint-Malo event has crowned champions like Beatriz Haddad Maia and Sloane Stephens. Jasmine Paolini, whom Osaka recently played, was the finalist in the tournament`s inaugural edition at this elevated level.
