Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is set to compete in a WTA 125 tournament for the first time in ten years. She has accepted a wild card entry into next week`s L`Open 35 de Saint-Malo event.
The tournament organizers announced Osaka`s late addition on Thursday via social media, stating that the former World No. 1 is expected to `make some noise` upon her debut.
This follows extensive training on clay courts in France with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. During this period, Osaka indicated she felt `stronger` and was prepared `to grind it out` if necessary. Her clay season recently began with a first-round loss at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday to Italy`s Lucia Bronzetti in three sets. This match was her first competitive outing in a month, since her fourth-round defeat to Paolini at the Miami Open.
Under WTA regulations, players ranked No. 11 or below are permitted to enter a WTA 125 event during the second week of a Grand Slam or mandatory WTA 1000 tournament, provided they have already exited the higher-level competition.
Osaka`s only prior appearance at a WTA 125 event was back in November 2015, where she finished as runner-up in Hua Hin, Thailand. At the time, she was just 18 years old and ranked No. 203. Her decision to return to this tier of tournament is driven by a desire to gain more consistent match experience, particularly on clay, a surface she has publicly stated she needs to master.
Osaka`s overall match record this season stands at 9-5. However, her performance since January is 3-3, partly impacted by an abdominal injury that led to her retiring from the final in Auckland against Clara Tauson and the fourth round of the Australian Open against Belinda Bencic.
Main-draw competition in Saint-Malo is scheduled to commence on Monday. Ranked No. 55 globally, Osaka is anticipated to be the second seed in the tournament. The highest-ranked player in the field is No. 53 Alycia Parks, expected to take the top seed. Other notable participants include Varvara Gracheva, Americans Caroline Dolehide and Katie Volynets, and former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria.
Since the Saint-Malo event was upgraded to WTA 125 status in 2021, previous champions have included prominent players like Beatriz Haddad Maia and Sloane Stephens. Jasmine Paolini was the runner-up in the inaugural 2021 edition.
