Osaka continues on comeback trail by accepting Abu Dhabi Open wildcard spot
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has been confirmed for the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open next month after accepting a wildcard to play in the WTA 500 tournament.
Taking place from February 3-11 at Zayed Sports City’s International Tennis Centre, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open had already announced a lineup that will feature 10 of the world’s top 20 players, including world No 3 Elena Rybakina, sixth-ranked Ons Jabeur and world No 8 Maria Sakkari.
Now the field has become even more competitive with the addition of Osaka, who follows Great Britain’s former US Open champion Emma Raducanu as a wildcard entry.
“I’m very excited about competing in this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and performing in front of the UAE tennis fans, who I know from previous experience will create a fantastic atmosphere,” Osaka, 26, said. “It’s a high-quality field with some of the world’s best players taking part, and I’m looking forward to what I’m sure will be a fantastic event.”
Osaka shot to prominence as a 20-year-old by winning the US Open in 2018, in the process becoming Japan’s first Grand Slam champion. She backed that up by starting the 2019 season with the Australian Open title – a triumph that saw her rise to world No 1. Osaka repeated the feat two years later when she won her second US Open trophy in 2020 and second Australian Open in 2021.
The added fame and attention took its toll on Osaka, who cut short her 2021 season after the US Open to focus on her mental health. She continued to prioritise her mental health in 2022 while also dealing with a litany of injury issues, before skipping the entire 2023 season to have a baby. She gave birth to her daughter last July.
Currently ranked 831, Osaka began her comeback at the Brisbane International earlier this month and competed at the Australian Open, where she lost in the first round to 16th seed Caroline Garcia.
Tournament director Nigel Gupta said: “With 10 of the world’s top 20 players competing, along with Grand Slam-winners Naomi and Emma Raducanu, fans attending have so much to look forward to. It promises to be a truly special tournament.”
Osaka will be one of five Grand Slam champions competing in Abu Dhabi next month, alongside Rybakina, Raducanu, Barbora Krejcikova, and Jelena Ostapenko.
For more information about the tournament and to purchase tickets, visit: www. mubadalaabudhabiopen.com.