Naomi Osaka has learned the name of her Brisbane International first-round opponent as the four-time Grand Slam champion is set to take on world No. 84 Tamara Korpatsch.
Osaka, a former world No. 1, is set to play her first tournament since giving birth and Brisbane will also be her first tournament since 2022 September. On Saturday, the Brisbane International released its draw and the 26-year-old Japanese received a pretty favorable first-round matchup.
When Osaka and 28-year-old Korpatsch meet, it will be the first meeting between the two. Although Osaka hasn’t played in a really long time and she will most likely feel certain rust in her return, Korpatsch is definitely not a bad matchup for the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Osaka’s third main draw appearance in Brisbane is about to start
Osaka’s first Brisbane appearance came in 2016, when she tried to reach the main draw as a qualifier. That year, Osaka won her opening two qualifying matches before losing in her qualifying final-round match to Kateryna Voloddko.
Three years later in 2019, Osaka made her main draw debut in Brisbane. Osaka made a deep run in her Brisbane debut as she reached the semifinal before losing to Lesia Tsurenko.
The next year, Osaka returned to Brisbane for her second appearance. Osaka’s second Brisbane appearance ended just like the first as the Japanese made the semifinal before ending on the losing side to Karolina Pliskova.
Ahead of her third Brisbane campaign, Osaka refused to declare herself a title contender but underlined she would attempt to win the title.
“That’s a tough question because I haven’t played in more than a year. I don’t know. I think I’ve given myself the biggest chance to do well, but at the same time, I haven’t had any match play. I think I’m just embracing the fact that it’s my first tournament in a very long time. I’m just trying to have fun and do well at the same time,” Osaka said.