"Caroline Wozniacki is over 30; Naomi Osaka is in mid-20s" - Barbara Schett gives an edge to the Japanese as they return to tennis post-pregnancy

Barbara Schett gives an edge to Naomi Osaka over Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber as all three look to make a comeback to tennis after pregnancy break.

Barbara Schett is a former tennis player from Austria who now works as a presenter and commentator. She reached a career-high rank of World No. 7 in 1999. Her best result at a Grand Slam came at the 1999 US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. The Austrian retired in 2005 after the Australian Open.

Talking to Eurosport, Schett gave her assessment on who among Osaka, Wozniacki, and Kerber might fare better on their return to the tour post-pregnancy. Schett acknowledged that Wozniacki's movements at the 2023 US Open were like earlier times but also mentioned the age difference between Osaka and the Dane.

"We’ve seen Caroline Wozniacki at the US Open playing in her onesie and she was just moving like in the old days. But let's not forget the age difference - Wozniacki is over 30 and Naomi Osaka is in her mid-20s; that does make a big difference," said Schett.

She mentioned Novak Djokovic as an example to reiterate her point that players tend to slow down post the age of 30.

“Even if you don't give birth at that age, you're starting to get a little bit slower and things get harder. And Novak Djokovic even said it: 'I'm not as fast as I used to be, but I have to work it out in a different way to beat the opponents'," continued Schett.

Schett gave an edge to the Japanese, mentioning that Osaka had always been very aggressive and never had any problems with pace.

"My biggest worry is that [Angelique] Kerber and also Wozniacki, are struggling with the pace of those girls a lot more. Whereas Osaka has always been super aggressive, and she's never had problems with the pace of somebody like Serena Williams as well," said Schett.

Naomi Osaka last played a full tennis match at the 2022 US Open where she lost to Danielle Collins in the first round. Angelique Kerber's last match was at Wimbledon 2022 where she lost to Elise Mertens in the third round. Wozniacki recently made her comeback at the 2023 Canadian Open, where she managed to reach the second round.

Naomi Osaka's Christmas in Australia

Naomi Osaka at the 2022 US Open

Naomi Osaka's recent social media post indicated that she had landed in Australia and was gearing up for a comeback at the Brisbane International. The Japanese posted an Instagram story to wish her fans a Merry Christmas from a tennis court in Brisbane.

The 26-year-old is also set to compete in the 2024 Australian Open, her first Grand Slam after a long hiatus. Osaka has won twice at Melbourne Park, first in 2019 and then again in 2021.

Osaka also recently took to Instagram to thank her fans for their support. She reminisced about the memories she had made on the court and acknowledged that she could have done some things differently.

"Thank you for believing in me and thank you for putting up with me. I know we've shared some really amazing memories and I also know that I've done some things that I wish I would've handled differently (lol)," she wrote.

The former World No. 1 felt hopeful for the second chapter of her career. The four-time Grand Slam champion added that she was very excited to see her fans again.

"Very honored to be going on chapter 2 of this tennis journey together and i'm so excited to see you guys next year," wrote Osaka.