Australian Open 2022: Defending champion Naomi Osaka returns to Melbourne

Naomi Osaka recently landed in Melbourne ahead of her Australian Open title defense. The official Australian Open Twitter account welcomed her, along with other arrivals Alison Riske and Mackenzie McDonald.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Melbourne where the local time is time for #AO2022 #AusOpen #AOStars #welcome"

The Japanese star had earlier expressed her excitement at returning to Australia.

"High key doesn't feel real to be going back to Australia lol" - Osaka captioned one of her Instagram stories.

Naomi Osaka's Instagram stories

Earlier this year, Osaka had arrived at the Australian Open as the player to beat. She had just won her third Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open. Additionally, she hadn't lost a match since the tour resumed after being suspended for a few months due to the pandemic.

On the way to her fourth Grand Slam title in Melbourne, Osaka saved two match points against Garbine Muguruza in their fourth-round match. She then defeated 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the semifinals and Jennifer Brady in the final.

Naomi Osaka will be raring to go after a difficult year

Naomi Osaka arrives in Melbourne

Following her triumph at the 2021 Australian Open, Naomi Osaka battled with mental health issues over the rest of the season. Her 23-match winning streak came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.

Osaka then suffered a couple of early exits on the clay courts of Madrid and Rome. Prior to the Australian Open, she announced her decision to skip mandatory press conferences, saying they had an adverse effect on her mental health.

Osaka's decision sparked a conversation regarding the mental health of athletes. While she did compete at the French Open, she withdrew from the tournament after winning her first-round match. Following this, Osaka decided to skip Wimbledon as well.

The Japanese returned to action at the Tokyo Olympics, where she was eliminated in the third round by Marketa Vondrousova. She then lost in the third round of the Cincinnati and US Open. Following her exit from the US Open, the 24-year old decided to take a break from tennis.

Naomi Osaka is all set for a comeback after being out for more than three months. She will begin her 2022 season at a WTA 250 event in Melbourne, followed by her defense of the Australian Open.

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