Naomi Osaka Bags a Wild Card as She Announces Her WTA Return After Australian Open 2022 Exit

Naomi Osaka had a decent 2021 season. The Japanese tennis sensation bagged her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last season. However, the 24-year-old has started this season in disappointing fashion.

In her first tournament this year, the Melbourne Summer Set 1, she was the top seed but could not proceed beyond the semifinals. Further, her Australian Open 2022 campaign ended in dismay, as Amanda Anisimova of the US shocked her in the third round. Her early exit at the opening Grand Slam of the season has severely affected her ranking. She has dropped to Number 82 on the WTA rankings chart.

The former World Number 1 is out of action since her third-round exit at the Grand Slam Down Under. However, she would be boosted by some positive news coming in.

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Naomi Osaka receives a wild-card entry at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells

Owing to her low ranking, the 4-time Grand Slam champion failed to qualify for the second WTA 1000 tournament of the season. However, the tournament awarded her a wild card and she will now play in Indian Wells.

Reacting to the news, she said, “To return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the place I won my first big event, it’s special. It was special in 2018 and it will be special again this March.”

The tournament holds a special place for Osaka, having won her first WTA title here in 2018. She defeated Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in the summit clash 6-3, 6-2. Moreover, she overcame some tough opponents en route to her first WTA title. She defeated 5-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in the first round. Further, in the semifinals, she beat former World Number 1 Simona Halep in a convincing fashion.

The Japanese star would be eager to make a strong comeback after a disappointing start to this season. Can she overcome a slump in form to win her first title this year in Indian Wells? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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