Osaka marks return to tennis with Brisbane win

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.”

Bill Scott

Recent Posts

Davis Cup Final to mark Nadal goodbye to tennis

Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his…

3 weeks ago

Wimbledon lowers the boom on human linecalling

Wimbledon on Wednesday brought an end to human linecalling at the most traditional of the…

3 weeks ago

Djokovic rolls Cobolli as Shanghai fights to restore order

Novak Djokovic returned to action after waiting tow days to play as the rain-hit Shanghai…

4 weeks ago

Innocent umpiring error screws Stan in Shanghai

Stan Wawrinka may have been inadvertently short-changed during Monday's third-round loss at the Shanghai Masters…

4 weeks ago

Sinner sweeps Fritz to win US Open

Jannik Sinner schooled Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 to win his second Grand Slam title…

2 months ago

Sabalenka wins Open title for Grand Slam hat-trick

Aryana Sabalenka completed a Grand Slam title hat-trick on Saturday as she fought from 5-3…

2 months ago