Naomi Osaka has claimed her first tennis title since returning from maternity leave, winning the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo in France on Sunday. This marks her first tournament victory in over four years and her first-ever title on a clay court .
The 27-year-old, who became a mother in July 2023, defeated Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 in the final. Her previous title win came at the 2021 Australian Open. While this latest tournament was a WTA 125 Challenger event—not part of the official WTA Tour, Osaka’s performance signals an important step in her comeback.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, acknowledged the milestone on social media with characteristic introspection.
“Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst,” she wrote on X. “That’s one of my favourite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve.”
She added: “Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful.”
It’s her first title since taking a break from the sport in 2022, followed by the birth of her daughter. The Saint-Malo title adds a new dimension to her resume, as it’s the first time she has triumphed on clay, a surface she has often found difficult.
Osaka has faced a challenging road back, with limited playing time due to injury and early tournament exits. She retired in the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year due to injury and made a brief appearance at the Madrid Open, where she exited early.
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou , said that building match fitness has been key:
“She really needs to play matches. For the last six, eight months she has been injured a lot, so unfortunately she hasn’t been able to play enough,” Mouratoglou told Tennis Channel 2.
“We had three weeks of intensive practice on clay, so she is ready to play. And now she has to play matches, I think that’s the thing she needs the most.”
Despite the tournament’s lower status compared to Grand Slam or WTA 1000 events, Osaka’s performance is a clear confidence booster ahead of bigger challenges.
Ranked No. 55 ahead of the Saint-Malo final, Osaka is projected to rise to No. 48 when the WTA rankings update on Monday. She is expected to compete in the main draw of the French Open later this month, her next major test on clay.
Her journey back to the top continues not just on the court, but also in the public eye. Ahead of the final, Osaka made headlines after posting a tongue-in-cheek job application form on social media aimed at critics who "constantly had sh** to say" about her game.
From motherhood to clay-court triumph, Osaka’s story is evolving, and Saint-Malo might just be the turning point she needed.
The 27-year-old, who became a mother in July 2023, defeated Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 in the final. Her previous title win came at the 2021 Australian Open. While this latest tournament was a WTA 125 Challenger event—not part of the official WTA Tour, Osaka’s performance signals an important step in her comeback.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, acknowledged the milestone on social media with characteristic introspection.
“Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst,” she wrote on X. “That’s one of my favourite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve.”
She added: “Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful.”
Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst. That’s one of my favorite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve. Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and… pic.twitter.com/oR5OY5pTJN
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 4, 2025
It’s her first title since taking a break from the sport in 2022, followed by the birth of her daughter. The Saint-Malo title adds a new dimension to her resume, as it’s the first time she has triumphed on clay, a surface she has often found difficult.
Osaka has faced a challenging road back, with limited playing time due to injury and early tournament exits. She retired in the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year due to injury and made a brief appearance at the Madrid Open, where she exited early.
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou , said that building match fitness has been key:
“She really needs to play matches. For the last six, eight months she has been injured a lot, so unfortunately she hasn’t been able to play enough,” Mouratoglou told Tennis Channel 2.
“We had three weeks of intensive practice on clay, so she is ready to play. And now she has to play matches, I think that’s the thing she needs the most.”
Despite the tournament’s lower status compared to Grand Slam or WTA 1000 events, Osaka’s performance is a clear confidence booster ahead of bigger challenges.
Ranked No. 55 ahead of the Saint-Malo final, Osaka is projected to rise to No. 48 when the WTA rankings update on Monday. She is expected to compete in the main draw of the French Open later this month, her next major test on clay.
Her journey back to the top continues not just on the court, but also in the public eye. Ahead of the final, Osaka made headlines after posting a tongue-in-cheek job application form on social media aimed at critics who "constantly had sh** to say" about her game.
From motherhood to clay-court triumph, Osaka’s story is evolving, and Saint-Malo might just be the turning point she needed.
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