Osaka tours Australian koala sanctuary ahead of Brisbane return

Naomi Osaka won't just be enjoying a return to top-level tennis next week at the Brisbane International. Ahead of the WTA 500 tournament -- her first in more than a year after giving birth to her daughter Shai in July -- Osaka enjoyed a fully immersive return to Australia, and met with some of the country's most beloved animals.

Often used to rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities in her various off-court endeavors and activities, the four-time Grand Slam champion traded that status to meet with famous Australian wildlife at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary on Friday.

The former World No.1 and her team toured the sprawling preserve -- the world's first and largest koala sanctuary -- and met several of the 80 species in residence there: namely, Milton the koala and an emu. After taking several selfies with Milton, Osaka also hand-fed kangaroos. 

Per a dispatch from ausopen.org's Leigh Rogers, Osaka was "cheerful and relaxed" during her visit, and "took time to ask sanctuary staff questions, wanting to learn more about the animals she was meeting."

Twenty-four hours later, Osaka learned who she'll face in her first match since the fall of 2021: She'll open in Brisbane against Germany's Tamara Korpatsch, the World No.84.