Brutal luck continues for Naomi Osaka as qualifier opponent confirmed for Abu Dhabi Open

Naomi Osaka, unlucky again, will face Danielle Collins in the opening match of the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open after the American advanced through the tournament's qualifying rounds. The 4-times Grand Slam champion will play her first match since her first-round exit at the Australian Open against the 16th seed Caroline Garcia.

Once again, luck wasn't on Osaka's side as she received a wild card in Abu Dhabi. Initially drawn against a qualifier, which typically offers some relief by avoiding the more dangerous opponents in the early stages of the tournament, she ended up being drawn against Danielle Collins (currently ranked No. 71), who successfully navigated the qualifying rounds and was subsequently matched with Osaka.

The American, much like Osaka, is comfortable on hard courts and will present a tough challenge to the former world No. 1. In their head-to-head record, Osaka leads 3-1 with matches played between 2018 and 2022, though the most recent encounter saw Collins emerge victorious in the first round of the 2022 US Open, where Osaka was the defending champion.

With a 28-player singles draw, the entry list for the WTA Abu Dhabi Open couldn't accommodate several strong players, forcing some to battle through the qualifying rounds based on their rankings. This included the recent Australian Open quarterfinalist, 19-year-old Linda Noskova, and former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin.

Danielle Collins, the 8th seed in the qualifying rounds, secured victories against Greek player Despina Papamichail (6-2, 6-3) and then over young Czech talent Linda Fruhvirtova (6-4, 6-3). The 2022 Australian Open finalist recently celebrated her 30th birthday and announced that the 2024 season will be her last as a professional.

Following her second-round exit at Melbourne Park against Swiatek, the world No. 71 revealed that she has not yet set a definitive retirement date, stating, “I don’t really know exactly when, but this will be my last season, and I’m really looking forward to that.”

“I have other things that I’d kind of like to accomplish in my life outside of tennis, and would like to be able to do that,” she said. “Obviously having kids is a big priority for me,” Danielle Collins said.