Naomi Osaka is back to winning ways on the WTA Tour, clinching her first title in four years at the Saint Malo ITF event.
Osaka emerged victorious in a straight sets win over Kaja Juvan in the final to hold the trophy aloft in France.
The Japanese star won a maiden clay title, and enjoyed her first trophy since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
After winning the title, Osaka has picked up where she left off, beginning her Italian Open campaign with two impressive victories in the opening rounds.
Osaka was questioned by fans after announcing she was playing at a lower-level event, but after sealing the win in Saint Malo, the four-time grand slam champion had a message for the doubters.
Photo by PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka says she didn’t return to tennis to play on centre courts all the time
Speaking to the Rome press after her tournament victory in Saint Malo, Osaka explained that she didn’t have an ego about playing in an ITF event.
She said: “You know what’s funny is, like, I keep getting asked questions like this, but in different ways.”
No, I mean, obviously I would have been really disappointed to lose in the first round. I guess I would think that people would say that if I didn’t win the trophy… There’s a lot of situations that could have occurred.”
“For me, I just wanted to focus on the tennis. I wanted to rack up experience on clay. I didn’t really have too much of an ego playing that tournament. I’ve always told people that I’m okay, like, playing on Court 16 if I have to anyways.”
“The reason I came back wasn’t to play on centre courts all the time, it’s because I really enjoy the game. I just want to see, like, what I can do.”
Naomi Osaka’s stop-start career in recent years
After winning in the first round of the French Open in 2021, Osaka withdrew from the tournament following failure to conduct her mandatory media assignments, citing mental health issues.
Osaka didn’t play Wimbledon that year, and returned to action on tour in Cincinnati, where she was upset in the third round.
After failing to defend her US Open title at the 2021 major, bowing out in the third round, she announced another break from the sport, admitting that winning didn’t make her happy anymore.
Osaka returned in 2022 at the Melbourne Summer Set 1, but before the Australian Open the following year, she announced her pregnancy with her first child, which would see the star out of action for some time.
She came back at the Brisbane International in 2024, where she played her first competitive match since September 2022.
AloJapan.com