Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is scheduled to compete in a WTA 125 tournament for the first time in ten years, having accepted a wild card entry into next week`s L`Open 35 de Saint-Malo.
The tournament organizers announced Osaka`s inclusion as a late addition via social media on Thursday, suggesting the former World No. 1 is ready to `make some noise` upon her debut at the event.
Following an extended training period on clay courts in France under the guidance of her coach Patrick Mouratoglou – during which she revealed to Tennis Majors that she felt `stronger` and prepared to `grind it out if she had to` – Osaka recently suffered a first-round defeat at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday. This loss came against Italy`s Lucia Bronzetti in three sets and was her first competitive match in a month, since her fourth-round exit at the Miami Open against Paolini.
Current WTA regulations permit players ranked 11th or lower to participate in a WTA 125 event taking place during the second week of a Grand Slam or mandatory WTA 1000 tournament, provided they have already been eliminated from the higher-tier competition.
Osaka`s only previous appearance at the WTA 125 level was in November 2015, when she was a then 18-year-old ranked No. 203 and reached the final in Hua Hin, Thailand. Her decision to return to this circuit is driven by a desire for more consistent match play, particularly on clay, a surface she is still working to fully master.
Her season record currently stands at 9 wins and 5 losses overall, but she has a 3-3 record since January. This recent slump is partly attributed to an abdominal injury earlier in the year, which forced her retirement from both the ASB Classic final (against Clara Tauson) and the Australian Open fourth round (against Belinda Bencic).
The main draw matches in Saint-Malo are set to commence on Monday. Ranked at No. 55, Osaka is expected to be the second seed in the tournament, positioned behind World No. 53 Alycia Parks. Other notable players in the field include top seed Varvara Gracheva, American players Caroline Dolehide and Katie Volynets, and former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria.
Since being upgraded to WTA 125 status in 2021, the champions in Saint-Malo have included Beatriz Haddad Maia and Sloane Stephens. Jasmine Paolini was the runner-up in the tournament`s first edition at this classification.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth