Osaka Moves Up In Tennis Rankings After Winning First Trophy In Four Years
Naomi Osaka defeated Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 to win the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 event in France, her first title in four years.
It was her first trophy since becoming a mother in 2023 and also her first-ever clay title.
The victory is expected to push her back into the world’s top 50 for the first time since returning to tennis in 2024 after childbirth.
Osaka beat Petra Marcinko in round one and Diane Parry in round two before a quarter-final win over Elsa Jacquemot and a semi-final victory over Leolia Jeanjean.
She made it five wins in a row with her victory in the final.
Osaka took to social media to express her excitement after ending a four-year title drought in France.
She said, “Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst. That’s one of my favourite things about life, though; there’s always room to grow and evolve.
“Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey. I know it’s turbulent, but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful.”
Osaka has battled with injuries and mental health issues in the last few years while also struggling to make a meaningful impact in major tournaments.
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said she has been focused on building her fitness.
He said, “She really needs to play matches. For the last six or eight months, she has been injured a lot, so unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to play enough.
“We had three weeks of intensive practice on clay, so she is ready to play. And now she has to play matches; I think that’s the thing she needs the most.”
Osaka earned 100 points with the trophy, and she has moved seven spots up to occupy the 48th position in the WTA rankings after spending months outside the top 50.
Osaka Moves Up In Tennis Rankings After Winning First Trophy In Four Years is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
