"Nostalgia wave" - Naomi Osaka jets off to Australia for her 2024 comeback after 18-month-long pregnancy break

Naomi Osaka is gearing up for her tennis comeback following an 18-month-long hiatus. Osaka recently shared a picture of her boarding a plane for Australia.

Osaka took a hiatus from competitive play in September 2022, following her participation in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Japan, where she withdrew before her second-round match due to an abdominal illness. Subsequently, she announced her pregnancy and chose to step away from tennis temporarily to prioritize her health and family.

During her break, Osaka, alongside her rapper boyfriend Cordae, welcomed a baby girl named Shai in July 2023. The tennis star has been sharing glimpses of her journey into motherhood on social media, posting delightful photos and videos of her daughter.

The 26-year-old shared a picture of herself on her Instagram story on Sunday, December 24, sitting inside a plane that is bound for Australia.

"Nostalgia wave cause Australia otw [on the way]," Osaka wrote.

Naomi Osaka on Instagram

Osaka recently unveiled her initial schedule for the 2024 season, which will commence with the Brisbane International in January. This tournament will serve as a warm-up event for the Australian Open, which will start from January 14.

---

"Naomi Osaka can do well" - Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou on Japanese's 2024 comeback

Naomi Osaka at the 2022 US Open

Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou thinks that women’s tennis will benefit from Naomi Osaka's return to the WTA circuit.

In a recent interview with Eurosport, Mouratoglou expressed his belief that Osaka's comeback represents the most favorable development for women's tennis.

"I think it's the best news for women's tennis," he said. "Now you have [Coco] Gauff and [Naomi] Osaka, not there are no others because of course there are many others, but I think those two are super exciting. They are superstars, so they're great for the WTA – the WTA needs superstars."

Mouratoglou said that Osaka would attract more interest and fans to women’s tennis, just like Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova did before.

"We had so many great years with Serena, Venus, and Maria Sharapova, who are three really huge stars and I think it draws a lot of attention to women's tennis when you have players like that. So I'm very excited that Naomi comes back. I think she's great. I think she can do well. I feel that she's very motivated to come back," he added.

Naomi Osaka currently stands unranked on the WTA website, a far cry from her reign as World No. 1 in 2019. Her last official ranking was No. 661 on September 18, 2023.