{"id":118761,"date":"2023-11-11T04:48:41","date_gmt":"2023-11-11T04:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/11\/11\/naomi-osaka-former-wta-world-number-one-plans-tennis-return-six-months-after-giving-birth\/"},"modified":"2023-11-11T04:48:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T04:48:41","slug":"naomi-osaka-former-wta-world-number-one-plans-tennis-return-six-months-after-giving-birth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/11\/11\/naomi-osaka-former-wta-world-number-one-plans-tennis-return-six-months-after-giving-birth\/","title":{"rendered":"Naomi Osaka: Former WTA world number one plans tennis return six months after giving birth"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Osaka won the US Open in 2018 and 2020, and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021
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Former world number one Naomi Osaka will return to tennis at the Brisbane International, almost six months after giving birth.<\/p>\n

The Japanese four-time Grand Slam winner\u00a0announced her pregnancy\u00a0in January and had\u00a0a daughter Shai in July.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old has not played on the WTA Tour since the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2022.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI am really excited about getting back out on court and competing,\u201d Osaka said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always love starting my season in Brisbane and can\u2019t wait to return. The Brisbane International is such a great tournament and will set me up for a brilliant comeback this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Brisbane tournament begins on December 31 and runs through to January 7, serving as a major event in the run-up to the Australian Open getting underway on January 14.<\/p>\n

Osaka won the most recent of her four Grand Slams at the Australian Open in 2021. her second title at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n

In May 2021, after pulling out of the French Open, she revealed she had\u00a0\u201csuffered long bouts of depression\u201d\u00a0ever since winning her first major title at the US Open in 2018.<\/p>\n

She has previously\u00a0taken breaks\u00a0from tennis to prioritise her mental health and spoken openly about the issues she has faced.<\/p>\n

Organisers of the Brisbane International also announced Great Britain\u2019s Andy Murray would feature at the tournament, which is returning after a three-year hiatus forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to see the Brisbane International back and I am really looking forward to returning to Queensland this summer,\u201d said former world number one Murray.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have great memories of winning the title in 2012 and 2013 and I would love to lift the trophy again for a third time in Brisbane.\u201d<\/p>\n

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