Although thousands of fans will be excited to see Naomi Osaka return to the tennis court, rivals of the Japanese superstar may not be as pleased at her turn.
Osaka has been out of action since giving birth to her son in July, but the former World No.1 has announced her intentions to return. Osaka is set to compete at the upcoming Brisbane International, with her main goal being to make a good impression at the subsequent 2024 Australian Open.
Tennis analyst Barbara Schett believes Osaka will be a threat to anyone she faces, and the top-ranked players would prefer not to play her in Australia.
“I think she still has a lot of tennis in her,” said Schett in a recent appearance on Eurosport. “I’ve seen a few videos of the way she was practicing; she’s looking fit. We know that she can hit the ball extremely hard, so pace is not going to be a problem at all. And one thing is for sure, an Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina, does not want to play against somebody like Naomi Osaka. The pressure will be on for them.”