Naomi Osaka set for tennis return as warning fired to Raducanu, Swiatek and co

Naomi Osaka has been tipped to get back to the top of tennis when she makes her return from pregnancy. The four-time Grand Slam champion recently gave birth to her first child and is plotting a comeback next year. And Rick Macci believes that Osaka can pick up where she left off in a warning to the rest of the tour.

Osaka has been sidelined from competition for almost a year, with her last match coming in Tokyo last September. There was speculation over the 25-year-old’s absence in the months that followed before she announced that she was pregnant and was already planning to return to tennis at the 2024 Australian Open.

Two new mums have already returned to tennis since then, with Elina Svitolina coming back in April following her daughter’s birth in October. Caroline Wozniacki also came out of retirement last week, having had two children during her three-and-a-half years away from the sport.

But renowned tennis coach Macci thinks Osaka could be even more dangerous when she does return to competition – bad news for top stars like Iga Swiatek and injured players also looking to come back like Emma Raducanu. “I know when you disappear from the pro tour and you go have a baby, everybody writes you off,” he told Tennis Infinity.

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“But listen, Osaka has four Grand Slams in her back pocket, you know, and she has firepower. She has a great serve, she’s solid off the ground, great athlete, good calming skills.”

Macci also tipped Osaka to follow in the footsteps of tennis legend Jennifer Capriati, who burst onto the scene aged just 13 back in 1990 but, five years later, burned out and took a break. She made a triumphant return, going on to lift three Grand Slam titles and reach No 1 in the world from 2001 to 2002.

“I bring this up all the time and it reminds me of one of my favorite students of all time. Jennifer Capriati. You know, she disappeared off the face of the earth, went off the tour, okay? Even saw it kind of in the movie King Richard,” Macci said, referencing the movie about the Williams sisters and their dad.

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“I wish they’d have presented it the way it really happened. ’cause she not only came back on the tour. Not to number 50 or 30 or 20 or 10. Number 1, three Grand Slams, Olympic gold, big contract from Fila. She came all the way back.”

While it was a different situation for Osaka, who instead took a break to give birth, Macci said the principle was the same. He added: “So listen, you don’t lose the talent and you don’t lose the ability. You lose a little bit of the confidence and the fitness.

“So listen, it’s not gonna happen this year, but I’m predicting by the end of 2024 I if her, if she’s hungry, because I know she believes, Osaka will go right back in the top 10 because she has enough firepower to play through you.”

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