As a former champion, Naomi Osaka will be returning to the major tournament in Melbourne. The Japanese tennis player, who has won the Australian Open twice in her competitive journey, was on the sidelines throughout the 2023 season after embracing motherhood. Even though Osaka’s return to Australian soil has the tennis community abuzz, the former Belgian player Justine Henin recently voiced her doubts about it.

After participating in the Brisbane International, the former world No. 1 player will now play her first-round match against Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open. Emphasizing her comeback phase, the 7-time singles Grand Slam champion Henin recently spoke about her concerns regarding Osaka’s recent ‘conditions’ on the court.

Belgian tennis veteran gets real about Naomi Osaka’s comeback

In an interview with Eurosport, the 41-year-old assessed the fortunes of the WTA players returning to the competitive game after embarking on motherhood. Now that Naomi Osaka has also joined the tennis moms club, Justine Henin asserted that the Japanese player’s much-awaited comeback will “bring some answers” this season.

The Belgian tennis veteran said, “Naomi Osaka, it’s going to be great to see her back now on the courts [but] in what condition is very hard to say.” While expressing her skepticism about Osaka’s comeback ahead of the Australian Open, Justine Henin also said, “It’s going to bring some answers, but it’s only the beginning of something.”

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Even though she is quite concerned about how the 4-time singles Grand Slam champion is to play after a lengthy break, Henin didn’t hold herself back from lauding her ‘difficult’ comeback decision.

The Belgian tennis veteran admires Osaka ahead of Australian Open return

In the same interview, Justine Henin opened up about how “coming back is never easy” for WTA players after pregnancy. As she has been a tennis mom herself, the former Belgian tennis player understands what it takes to make a robust return to the women’s tour.

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Notably, the 41-year-old expressed her admiration for Osaka, who didn’t play any matches for “a long time” and has now come back after giving birth to her daughter. She said, “It’s different situations and I admire [it] because we know how much effort it takes to come back physically being a mother.”

What do you think of all the skepticism surrounding Osaka’s return to the court ahead of the Australian Open? Let us know in the comments section.

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