Naomi Osaka has already confirmed her first tournament of the 2025 season as the Japanese tennis star is set to return to the ASB Classic after not playing there in nearly a decade.
On Thursday, the organizers of the WTA 500 event in Auckland announced the four-time Grand Slam champion as their first big name for next year’s edition which is slated to take place in the opening week of the new season.
For the 26-year-old, it will be her second appearance at the tournament and the first one since 2017. In her debut, the former world No. 1 reached the quarterfinal – where she lost the opening three games to Anja Konjuh before retiring injured.
Also, this will mark the first time Osaka playing in New Zealand since welcoming baby girl Shai in 2022. And while the seven-time WTA champion will be hoping to do well on the court, she is also excited about returning to a city where she made some nice memories seven years ago.
“I am looking forward to just embracing the nature of Auckland and of course, playing in a tournament that I have not played in for a long time. I am excited to return to Auckland. When I was there last time, I was fortunate to go on a helicopter tour and explore the beaches which I thought were really beautiful. My other memory is that Auckland has the best…
