Osaka optimistic about Australian Open participation after injury scare

MELBOURNE -- Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka dismissed any doubts about her upcoming participation at the first Grand Slam of the 2025 Hologic WTA Tour season. 

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Osaka opened her season by barreling into her first tournament final since returning from her maternity leave, doing so at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. Osaka looked in control of the match against Clara Tauson, but after winning the first set, the former No.1 tearfully retired, citing an abdominal injury. 

"The MRI, it wasn't fantastic but it wasn't bad at the same time," Osaka told reporters at Australian Open Media Day. "So saying all that, I'm pretty optimistic about playing my match. I mean, for sure I'm going to play my match. I've been practicing pretty well for the two days that I've been here. Seems to be going good.

"I think my mindset now is probably the most clear it's been in a very long time. Obviously, I did pretty well in Auckland. I know I lost, debatably lost in the final. In my head I kind of won it. For me, that's definitely a new career stat because I've only ever been to the semis in tournaments before this one. I'm really excited to play here. I'm also excited to be here with Patrick because we technically haven't lost yet. So yeah, it's going to be a good run I think."

Osaka has a point. Since splitting with Wim Fissette and hiring Patrick Mouratoglou after the US Open, the new team have won seven matches without losing a completed match. Her two blemishes were retirements, first after splitting sets with Coco Gauff in the China Open Round of 16 and to Tauson in Auckland.

It's a small sample size but enough to give Osaka the belief to step into 2025 confidently. There's a noticeably different energy around the 27-year-old.

"I would say when I came here last year, it was kind of like hopes and dreams," Osaka said. "Me sitting here is, like, reality, which is funny because I do have the same hopes and dreams, but it's more like understanding how much hard work it takes to come to this point.

"Very transparently, for me I feel like the tennis was always there, in a way. It was just the belief of feeling like I can string together victories if the conditions were bad or if I thought I wasn't playing as well as I could have. I feel like I've learned that throughout the course of 2024, and I guess Auckland as well. I would say I am a little bit of a different person now, hopefully."

Last fall, ahead of the Asian swing, Osaka was asked what her goals were for the end of the 2024 season.

"My goal now, I think to be seeded in Australia," she said in Beijing. "I would really love that. I would love to avoid Caroline Garcia."

A lower back injury halted her progress through Asia and, as luck would have it, unseeded Osaka indeed drew Garcia in the first round in Melbourne. The two played three times last year, with Garcia winning twice. It's a rematch of the first round last year, which the Frenchwoman won 6-4, 7-6(2).

"I really respect her a lot," Osaka said. "I feel the same energy coming from her. I also like the fact that we were born on the same day, so we have the same birthdays. I can't ever have bad blood with a fellow Libra."