- Former world No 1 has not played competitively in a year
- Time off for birth of daughter ‘raised my love for the sport’
Naomi Osaka is intending to play “way more tournaments” on her return to tennis following the birth of her daughter. The four-time grand slam champion, who has not played a competitive match since last September, announced her pregnancy in January and gave birth to baby Shai in July.
Osaka, who has two US Open and two Australian Open titles to her name, had played an increasingly sparse schedule before her maternity leave, stepping away from the court several times to prioritise her mental health.