On this day last year, Naomi Osaka does the honours of lighting the Olympic cauldron to open the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games. 🔥 Click the link in the video to watch this year's celebrations. #Tokyo2020 | @naomiosaka
"Hope that I get to play and get a medal": Olympic Games appeal process likely, but fire burns for Naomi Osaka in gold medal hunt
WTAMonday, 15 April 2024 at 05:00
Naomi Osaka expressed her desire to participate in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics and win a medal for Japan. The 4-time Grand Slam champion competed in Tokyo 2020, where she was the second seed and the main local hope; however, she was eliminated in the third round and exited the tournament without a medal.
On her path, she easily defeated Shuai Zheng (6-1, 6-4) and Victoria Golubic (6-3, 6-2), but she couldn't overcome Marketa Vondrousova (1-6, 4-6), missing out on a good opportunity for a medal, especially considering that 6 of the top 8 seeds were eliminated before the quarterfinals.
Naomi Osaka faces an obstacle to participate in Paris
The former world No. 1 may find it challenging to compete in the tournament, considering that one of the requirements for participation is to make at least two mandatory appearances for her country in the Billie Jean King Cup during the current Olympic cycle, although she only made one.
The explanation behind this is her absence due to maternity leave for 15 months. Osaka plans to appeal for an exemption, especially considering that she was the one who lit the Olympic cauldron at Tokyo 2020.
"Growing up watching the Olympics on TV, I felt that it was a celebration of sport. I thought it brought everyone together, and just to be able to be an athlete there and interact with other athletes is one of the funniest things that I've ever done," she expressed.
Osaka won her last title at 2021 Australian Open
Recently, Osaka returned to the top 200 (No. 193) after being unranked and participating in only six tournaments. To qualify for the Olympics, she needs to be within the top 56 by the end of Wimbledon. However, the rule allowing a maximum of four participants per country means that the rankings can shift significantly.
Alternatively, if Osaka doesn't meet the qualification criteria, she can request a wildcard, which is reserved only for former Olympic champions or Grand Slam winners. "I would hope that I do really well on one of the clay court tournaments and also grass. Honestly, I feel like I've improved every match, so I think that is possible for me," Osaka stated.
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