Wally Masur doesn’t see Naomi Osaka make a victorious comeback in Australia in 2024

Masur wants Osaka to get her head in the right places and expects absolutely no mercy from the present stars, who have improved a lot since her break.

Wally Masur doesn’t see Naomi Osaka make a victorious comeback in Australia in 2024

Naomi Osaka in action during a match. (credits: CNN)

Former WTA World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has been out of action for two years now due to childbirth. She was flying high in form back in 2021 when she decided to pause the sport to look after her paternal duties. 

As she is returning to action at the upcoming Brisbane International, she was seen hitting the practice court on Wednesday ahead of the tournament. 

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Osaka last played at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo way back in September 2021, and now that she is finally match-fit after her childbirth, Wally Masur gave his views on the return of the Japanese in an interview with media outlet Wide World of Sports. 

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Masur talked about the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, whom Osaka will be up against, as he feels that the comeback will not be straightforward at all.

That's the challenge for Naomi. The game doesn't stand still and when you step off the merry-go-round, you've got to get back on it. All those people, they've been improving, another brick in the wall, another win, another pre-season, they're just getting better and better. Can she win and can she certainly cause problems for the very best players? Absolutely. But I don't think it's gonna be so straightforward.
Masur said

That’s not all; he wants Osaka to get her head in the right places and expect absolutely no mercy from the present stars, who are improving and shaping their skill sets with every single passing day. 

He also rated Osaka as the one to cause problems in the path of these stars but had asked the Japanese star to be watchful of her steps in the first few competitions.

Throwback to the time when Naomi Osaka lifted her first Australian Open title

The young Naomi Osaka was high in confidence, having just accomplished her dream of winning the first Grand Slam title at the 2018 US Open, beating the very best in the business, Serena Williams. 

Now she had the chance to make it two Slams out of two at the 2019 Australian Open, and she made it count as she went on to beat Petra Kvitova in a three-set classic encounter. 

Naomi Osaka after winning the 2021 Australian Open title. (credits: IndiaTimes)

She was just 21 at the time and became the first woman in over four years to win two Slams on a trot. Despite losing three match points, the Japanese ended the night on a winning note with a scoreline of 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4.

She was ranked World No. 72 in the 2018 Australian Open, and just a year later, she announced herself as the new World No. 1 in the WTA rankings.

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