Osaka Hits Practice Court to Prepare for her Tennis Return at Brisbane International

Naomi Osaka of Japan in action during a practice session ahead of the Brisbane International tennis tournament at Queensland Tennis Centre n Brisbane, Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (AAP Image/Darren England)
Naomi Osaka of Japan in action during a practice session ahead of the Brisbane International tennis tournament at Queensland Tennis Centre n Brisbane, Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (AAP Image/Darren England)
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Osaka Hits Practice Court to Prepare for her Tennis Return at Brisbane International

Naomi Osaka of Japan in action during a practice session ahead of the Brisbane International tennis tournament at Queensland Tennis Centre n Brisbane, Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (AAP Image/Darren England)
Naomi Osaka of Japan in action during a practice session ahead of the Brisbane International tennis tournament at Queensland Tennis Centre n Brisbane, Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Former No. 1 and new mom Naomi Osaka hit the practice court Wednesday ahead of the Brisbane International as she prepared for her much anticipated return to tennis, The Associated Press reported.
Osaka will make her WTA comeback at the tournament which begins Sunday at Pat Rafter Arena. A two-time Australian and US Open champion, Osaka pulled out of last year's Australian Open in Melbourne before later revealing she was pregnant.
The US-based Japanese player and her American rapper boyfriend Cordae became parents to daughter Shai in Los Angeles in July.
Osaka has only played one game since the 2021 US Open in New York. She was leading Daria Gavrilova 1-0 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2021, before the Australian suffered a serious knee injury and had to retire in the match.
“She’s really pumped, excited to be back in Brisbane,” tournament director Cameron Pearson said Wednesday. ”She arrived Christmas morning and was out practicing a few hours later. No Christmas pudding for her, she was straight into it.”
Rafael Nadal is also set to return from injury in Brisbane in a 32-man ATP field so strong that Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem will have to qualify to feature in it.
Nadal held his first practice session Thursday in Brisbane.
Thiem made the Australian Open final in 2020 and Berrettini was a semifinalist two years later. Both are currently sitting outside the top-60 cutoff mark which received automatic entry into the season-opening event.
Holger Rune, at No. 8, is the highest-ranked male in the tournament. American Ben Shelton and three-time Grand Slam singles champion Andy Murray are also entered.
Reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria Azarenka, Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens are in the 54-player women's draw.



Barcelona Pair Casadó, Martínez Out of Spain’s Nations League Squad Over Injury

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v FC Barcelona - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 16, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Giuliano Simeone in action with FC Barcelona's Marc Casado REUTERS/Juan Medina
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v FC Barcelona - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 16, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Giuliano Simeone in action with FC Barcelona's Marc Casado REUTERS/Juan Medina
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Barcelona Pair Casadó, Martínez Out of Spain’s Nations League Squad Over Injury

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v FC Barcelona - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 16, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Giuliano Simeone in action with FC Barcelona's Marc Casado REUTERS/Juan Medina
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v FC Barcelona - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 16, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Giuliano Simeone in action with FC Barcelona's Marc Casado REUTERS/Juan Medina

Midfielder Marc Casadó and central defender Iñigo Martínez are out of Spain's Nations League quarter-final because of injury, the national soccer federation said Monday.
Defending champion Spain visits the Netherlands on Thursday and hosts them on Sunday in the return match.
Casadó hurt his right knee in the second half of Barcelona’s 4-2 win at Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league on Sunday. National team coach Luis de la Fuente has replaced him with Bayer Leverkusen's Aleix García.
Barcelona teammate Martínez also has a right knee problem, though the defender finished the match against Atletico. He has been replaced for the Nations League matches by Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, a member of Spain’s under-21 squad.