Naomi Osaka Set to Make Post-Pregnancy Return to Tennis for 2024 Australian Open

Osaka has been away from the sport since Sept. 2022 after the birth of her first child, daughter Shai

The 2024 Australian Open is set to serve some major star power.

On Tuesday, the tournament announced on social media that tennis star Naomi Osaka, who won the tournament in 2019 and 2021, will compete in the 2024 edition, which begins January 14. Former Australian Open champions, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber, are set to play as well.

And during an interview on Australia's Today Show, the tournament's director Craig Tiley said Rafael Nadal plans to compete in January as well. “We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back,” Tiley said, according to CNN.

Tiley explained that Nadal, 37, has been "off for most of the year" after a hip injury plagued him during this year's tournament. In January, Nadal fell to Mackenzie McDonald at the 2023 Australian Open and then later withdrew from the French Open and the rest of the 2023 tournaments.

Tiley said, “He’s been off for most of the year and in talking to him over the last few days he confirmed he will be back, which we’re really excited about, the champion of 2022. That’s awesome.”

Related: Rafael Nadal Concedes Novak Djokovic Is ‘the Best’ Tennis Player of All Time: ‘There Is Nothing to Discuss’

Nadal confirmed his interest in the tournament in a post on X, formerly Twitter, but the decorated tennis champion did not say his availability in the January tournament is for certain. "I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open… I am practising every day and working hard to come back asap," Nadal wrote in his post.

In May, the athlete told fans on Instagram that his recovery process was taking longer than expected after he was injured in Australia in January, leading to his withdrawal from May's French Open. "Initially it had to be a six to eight week recovery period and we're on to number fourteen," he explained in the post, which was originally written in Spanish.

Nadal said the "reality" of the situation was not what he and his medical team "had hoped for," despite following all medical directions. "We find ourselves in a situation that is difficult," he added.

Additionally, Nadal told CNN that he plans for next year to be his last competing. "That's my idea, even then I can't say 100% because you never know what can happen — but my idea and my motivation is to try to enjoy and try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my tennis career during [next] year, and just try to enjoy that, being competitive and enjoying being on the court, something that today is not possible."

Related: Naomi Osaka Opens Up About Missing Tennis and Feeling ‘Lonely’ During Her Pregnancy

Osaka, 25, has been taking time away from the sport after welcoming her first child, daughter Shai, with Cordae in Los Angeles.

The former World No. 1 hasn’t played tennis since last September’s Toray Pan Pacific Open when she announced she was stepping away from the game during her pregnancy.

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In an ESPN interview last month, Osaka opened up about feeling “lonely” during her pregnancy. "I realized that I don't know how the beginning of the year is going to go for me," she said. "I don't know the level of play, and I think I have to ease into it. At the very least, I'm going to set myself up for a very good end of the year."

The Australian Open begins Jan. 14 and runs through the 28th.

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