After suffering an early exit at the ongoing Madrid Open, former World No.1 Naomi Osaka has taken some drastic measures as she is scheduled to compete at an upcoming WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo.
The Japanese superstar fell to Italian Lucia Bronzetti in the opening round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. Osaka has looked far from her Grand Slam winning form ever since returning from giving birth to her first child two years ago.
Playing at a smaller tournament could be beneficial
The Japanese superstar began the 2025 season by reaching the final at the ASB Classic in January, where she was forced to withdraw after winning the first set against Clara Tauson. Subsequently, Osaka has only played in four tournaments, with her best result being a round of 16 loss to Italian Jasmine Paolini.
After several members of the tennis community have called for the four-time Grand Slam champion to play at a smaller event in order to regain her rhythm, Osaka seems to have finally obliged. The 27-year old has accepted a wildcard entry to L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA clay-court 125 tournament scheduled to run from April 27 - May 4, 2025. Perhaps this event will allow Osaka to gain more match-play prior to the Rome Open and Roland Garros, which will undoubtedly have a higher level of competition.
🎾🌟 Naomi Osaka à Saint-Malo !
— L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo (@LOPEN35STMALO) April 24, 2025
La quadruple championne reçoit une wild card pour l’Open 35 !
Ancienne n°1 mondiale, elle foulera la terre battue malouine… et ça va faire du bruit 🔥
🎟️ https://t.co/eDA2fIYtdZ#open35 #WTA #osaka pic.twitter.com/U9jLrqb9FZ
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
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