Naomi Osaka eyeing to replace Iga Swiatek as the World No. 1 and increase her Grand Slam titles tally discloses performance coach Florian Zitzelsberger

Naomi Osaka will make her comeback in the Brisbane International ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.

Naomi Osaka eyeing to replace Iga Swiatek as the World No. 1 and increase her Grand Slam titles tally discloses performance coach Florian Zitzelsberger

Naomi Osaka (L) Iga Swiatek (R) (Sources: Imago/IT)

Naomi Osaka took a break from tennis in early 2023 to focus on her family and her mental condition as she looked forward to giving birth to her firstborn child, Shai. After a full year of being away from the court, the player is finally aiming to make a comeback in 2024 and has already started preparations for the same. She has appointed performance coach Florian Zitzelsberger for the same and they have already started to work towards her return. 

Zitzelsberger began to work with Osaka back in 2022, but then she took a break to focus on her family and give birth to her firstborn. Now that she is returning to court, the Japanese has turned back to Zitzelsberger, who has the responsibility of bringing her back in shape and form. 

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Where she is today is what makes working with her so inspiring. She wants to get back to world No. 1, she wants to win Grand Slams. She gives me the impression of someone who is totally balanced and happy with herself. She’s very much grounded, mature and embracing the beauty of motherhood.
Florian Zitzelsberger via Tennis.com

Osaka currently has the same number of Grand Slam titles as Iga Swiatek (4) and will need to compete with the Polish international directly from the very beginning of the upcoming season itself if she is to target the World No. 1 spot. Swiatek is currently the general favorite in all tournaments. 

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Naomi Osaka will feature in the Australian Open 2024

Osaka will return to the Brisbane International in January before participating in the 2024 Australian Open. In fact, she has already made it official that she will be participating in the 2024 Australian Open. 

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka (Source: People)
I am really excited about getting back out on court and competing. I always love starting my season in Brisbane and can’t wait to return. 
 Osaka via news release

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, US Open 2023 champion Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, the runner-up from last year, are the major competitions that Naomi Osaka will have to face in the tournament. It will be interesting to see whether the Japanese is indeed able to make a good comeback in the tournament. 

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