Naomi Osaka has been absent from the WTA Tour for a long period of time. Fans have not seen her in a professional capacity since late 2022. She announced her hiatus before the Australian Open owing to her pregnancy. Her presence has been sorely missed. However, fans would not have to wait any longer, as the Japanese professional has announced a comeback prior to the first slam of next year.

After the 26-year-old gave birth to her daughter, Shai, fans were wildly speculating about her comeback. Many wondered if she would even return in time for the Australian Open. Osaka gave joy to her fans when her return date was confirmed.

Naomi Osaka to step back to the tour in the WTA 500

The Japanese-American player has shown us great tennis since she won four slams. However, her absence in the last year has made fans miss her skills. But an end has been announced to their wait. The former number 1 will be returning to the tournament, and what’s more, she will return before the Australian Open.

She will step back into the Brisbane Open, which is a WTA 500 event. The tournament will begin on December 31, 2023. The official Brisbane Open account shared the news on their ‘X’ page: “Back on court and back in BRISBANE! We are so ready for your return,@naomiosaka🙌“.

Naomi Osaka also commented on the post saying that she was excited to return to the first tournament of next year. She also said that she was excited to visit Brisbane.

One fan had felt that Brisbane would share the good news with them sometime tonight as they had also shared news of Andy Murray. “We knew Brisbane would be announcing tonight, so far have announced Osaka and Murray. This will be Osaka’s first tournament since the 2022 Japan Open.”

Her return not only comes with great news for her fans but also with a prophecy. Serena Williams‘ childhood coach made a prediction about Osaka’s return to the sport and her rise in 2024.

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Osaka’s return gets massive prediction

Naomi Osaka returned to training in August. Since then, fans have waited for news of a comeback. Before it was confirmed, many, along with Rick Macci, the childhood coach of Serena Williams, speculated her return in 2024.

However, Macci went a step ahead of the others. His coaching experience compelled him to make a prophecy about Osaka’s return. The 68-year-old coach said that by the end of 2024, Osaka will be in the top 10 of the WTA.

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He reasons that her serve is one of the best, and she has a great forehand and backhand. With her comeback news confirmed now, Macci will be glued to the screen to find out if he was right. As for the four-time grand slam champion herself, she will be looking to have a blazing comeback on tour, starting with Brisbane.