Osaka Set To Make Return At Three Tournaments Before US Open

Naomi Osaka will be busy during the North American hard-court season after entering three tournaments before the US Open begins at the end of August.

By her high standards, it has been a tough year for Osaka. The highlight of her season was finishing as runner-up to Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open, which is the only final she has reached in 2022.

Osaka's last match was at the French Open, where she lost in straight sets to Amanda Anisimova in the opening round. Clay is not the Japanese star's favorite surface, but it was a disappointing defeat nonetheless.

The four-time Grand Slam champion has been struggling with an Achilles injury since then. Osaka shared a video of her doing fitness work on an underwater treadmill due to her Achilles issue.

She elected to be cautious by not playing any grass-court tournaments. That decision was made to give herself the best possible chance of being ready for the North American hard-court season, which has been a successful period of the season for Osaka.

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The 24-year-old's first tournament in North America will be at the Silicon Valley Classic, starting on the first day of August. It is a WTA-500 tournament, but this year has a strong entry list, including Coco Gauff.

Osaka's next scheduled event is the Canadian Open. During her career, she has struggled more in Canada than in any other North American hard-court tournament, only managing one quarterfinal in four appearances.

Her final tournament before the US Open will be the Cincinnati Open. In 2020, Osaka reached the final in Ohio. Unfortunately, due to an injury, she could not contest the final against Victoria Azarenka.  

It would be foolish for anyone to write off Osaka's chances at the US Open. She is almost unplayable when she finds her best tennis on hard courts.

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