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Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates winning match point during her Women’s Singles final match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Day Thirteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates winning match point during her Women’s Singles final match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Day Thirteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
In 2020, the Japanese star Naomi Osaka rose to a premier level in tennis once again. She won her 3 Grand Slam title at the US Open at the mere age of 23.
However, due to playing fewer tournaments last year, the former World No. 1 failed to regain the top rank. So as World No. 3, her first priority will be to become the best player of 2021.
Interestingly, the Japanese player has clinched one major title every single year from 2018. Therefore, it is something that Naomi would like to continue in the coming year as well.
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Considering her current form, the reigning US Open champion will be one of the favorites in every tournament this year. But before she starts her 2021, take a look at the tournaments she is likely to play this year.
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Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates a point in her quarter-final match against Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands during day five of the 2020 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on January 10, 2020, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Schedule for Naomi Osaka in 2021
The list is only provisional and can change according to different circumstances.
| Date | Tournament | Location | Draw Size | Classification | Surface |
| 8 Feb – 15 Feb | Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia | 128 | Grand Slam | Hard |
| 8 Mar | Dubai Tennis Championships | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 64 | WTA 1000 | Hard |
| 22 Mar – 29 Mar | Miami Open | Miami Gardens, United States | 128 | WTA 1000 | Hard |
| 19 Apr | Stuttgart Open | Stuttgart, Germany | 32 | WTA 500 | Clay |
| 26 Apr – 3 May | Madrid Open | Madrid, Spain | 64 | WTA 1000 | Clay |
| 10 May | Italian Open | Rome, Italy | 64 | WTA 1000 | Clay |
| 24 May – 31 May | French Open | Paris, France | 128 | Grand Slam | Clay |
| 14 Jun | Birmingham Classic | Birmingham, Great Britain | 32 | WTA 250 | Grass |
| 28 Jun – 5 July | The Championships, Wimbledon | London, Great Britain | 128 | Grand Slam | Grass |
| 26 Jul | Tokyo Olympics | Tokyo, Japan | 64 | Olympic Games | Hard |
| 9 Aug | Canadian Open | Toronto, Canada | 56 | WTA 1000 | Hard |
| 16 Aug | Cincinnati Open | Cincinnati, United States | 64 | WTA 1000 | Hard |
| 30 Aug – 6 Sept | US Open | New York City, United States | 128 | Grand Slam | Hard |
| 20 Sept | Pan Pacific Open | Tokyo, Japan | 32 | WTA 500 | Hard |
| 4 Oct | China Open | Beijing, China | 64 | WTA 1000 | Hard |
| 1 Nov | WTA Finals | Shenzhen, China | 8 | Tournament with round-robin matches | Hard |
| Tba* | Indian Wells Masters | Tucson, California | 128 | Masters 1000 | Hard |
*Note: Indian Wells Masters has been postponed until further notice due to the coronavirus spread in the USA.
The 2019 Australian Open winner will start her campaign at the first slam of the year. Given her time off from tennis after the 2020 US Open, it would be difficult to find the rhythm from the start. But since she played only five tournaments last year, Naomi will be mentally ready to go big this year.
Naomi Osaka’s known targets in 2021
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Naomi Osaka of Japan with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup following victory in her Women’s Singles Final match against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during day 13 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2019, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Apart from defending her New York title, she is the defending finalist of the Cincinnati Open. However, her prime target would be getting back the Australian Open, which she lost in the Round of 32 last year.
Additionally, the highest-ranked Japanese will also try to collect more titles in the season. Currently, she has six WTA titles to her name.
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In finality, Naomi Osaka is the player fans wouldn’t want to miss in 2021. Hopefully, she will present the peak level of her career this year.
Also Read: Former World No. 1 Confident of Serena Williams Winning Australian Open 2021
