Former world number one female tennis player, Naomi Osaka is expected to return to tennis at the Brisbane International, six months after giving birth.
The four-time Grand Slam champion recently took a break to give birth to her daughter Shai in July.
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 which starts on January 14.
Osaka won the most recent of her four Grand Slams at the Australian Open in 2021. her second title at Melbourne Park.
She has not featured on the WTA Tour since the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2022.
“I am really excited about getting back out on court and competing,” Osaka said.
“I always love starting my season in Brisbane and can’t wait to return. The Brisbane International is such a great tournament and will set me up for a brilliant comeback this summer.”
She has previously taken breaks from tennis to prioritise her mental health and spoken openly about the issues she has faced.
In May 2021, after pulling out of the French Open, she revealed she had “suffered long bouts of depression” ever since winning her first major title at the US Open in 2018.
