Billie Jean King Cup: Is Naomi Osaka Playing the Event? Everything to Know about Team Japan

Japanese star Naomi Osaka‘s comeback in 2024 after a hiatus of 15 months isn’t going smoothly. Although her meteoric rise in rankings from a lowly 831 to just within the top 200 is encouraging, it is still nowhere close to her expected standards. In a strategic overhaul, she has now shifted her focus towards international team tournaments to get her winning form back.

After being named into the Japanese team, the four-time Grand Slam winner is going to return to the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in four long years playing alongside her compatriots from 12-13 April.

The Japanese national team is glad to have Naomi Osaka with them!

The indoor hard courts of the massive Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo will be the stage for Osaka’s homecoming after four years. Last playing in the tournament in 2020, she has a singles record of 5-2 at the Billie Jean King Cup. Naturally, the former world No.1 is not the top-ranked in her national team but she is still the biggest name in the tie against Kazakhstan.

The 26-year-old will be accompanied by Mai Hontama, who impressed playing in home tournaments last year and is ranked 120. There will also be Nao Hibino who’s ranked 80 and is a regular on the WTA tour, 36-year-old doubles specialist Shuko Aoyama, and American-born double specialist Ena Shibahara. Ranked 20th in the latest Billie Jean King Cup Rankings, the national team will be led by captain Ai Sugiyama.

The 48-year-old had reached the top 10 of the WTA singles rankings by playing two Grand Slam singles quarter-finals at her peak and securing the No. 1 spot in doubles, effectively making her tennis royalty in her homeland. However, it was Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama who helped Japan secure their place in this year’s Qualifiers by coming from behind to win in the decisive doubles match against Columbia.

In show a of support, the Japanese captain has welcomed the return of Osaka to her team, “She said that she wants to play, so I’m really happy.” She adds, “We’re aiming for the very top. The players have the potential.” However, Osaka also has her eyes set on the bigger picture!

Naomi Osaka has her eyes set on the Paris Olympics

The 26-year-old will be making her first team competition debut since February 2020, indicating she hasn’t met the requirement of participating in two ties within one Olympic cycle.

To secure a place in the Japan team for the Paris Olympics, “she’ll need to go through the appeals process,” as stated by a spokesperson for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to AFP. Nonetheless, the ITF also sets aside a slot in each singles draw at the Games for a Grand Slam title holder.

Two single matches, Nao Habino vs Anna Danilina and Naomi Osaka vs Yulia Putintseva will be played on the first day which is the 12th of April. On the second day, the 13th of April, Nao Habino and Naomi Osaka will go against Anna Danilina and Yulia Putintseva while Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara will go against Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva in doubles match-ups.

This week features eight BJK Cup qualifying ties, with the victors progressing to the 12-team finals scheduled for November. They will join hosts Spain, defending champions Canada, 2023 runners-up Italy, and the wild-card entry Czech Republic in the finals.

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