Naomi Osaka ended a long break from tennis on Monday, starting the New Year with a 6-3, 7-6 (9) defeat of German Tamara Korpatsch to make a winning start at the Brisbane International.
Osaka, who quit the game 15 months ago for mental health reasons, later stayed away to eventually give birth to a daughter last July.
The winner of four Grand Slam titles has been a reluctant champion, shying away from many of the public responsibilities which come with being a millionaire international sports celebrity
Osaka kicked off her comeback with a break of her opponent to love and was never distracted from her mission, though the two-time Australian Open winner did need to get through a second-set tiebreaker.
“I was super nervous but I was really excited to be out here. It feels really good to be back,” she said.
“The last couple of years that I played before (pregnancy) I didn’t return as much love as I was given, so I really feel like that’s what I want to do in this chapter.
“I just really appreciate people coming out and cheering for me.”
