After four years, Naomi Osaka will compete in the Billie Jean King Cup once again

When Japan plays Kazakhstan in a qualifier in Tokyo next month, Naomi Osaka will compete for the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in four years, the team said on Friday.

After having given birth, the four-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one is returning to tennis this season. She last participated in the competition in 2020.

After making her return, the 26-year-old has participated in five events. Earlier this week at the Indian Wells Masters, she was defeated by Elise Mertens of Belgium in the round of 32.

Now, after taking a 15-month maternity sabbatical from the tour, she is ranked 287th in the world.

Since withdrawing from the Pan Pacific Open in September 2022 before her second-round match, it will be Osaka’s first trip to Tokyo.

On April 12 and 13, Japan will play Kazakhstan in Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum, where Osaka advanced to the third round of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The winners will go on to the finals in Spain in November.

Ai Sugiyama, the captain of Japan, was cited by local media as stating, “She said that she wants to play, so I’m really happy.”

Osaka has declared her desire to compete at the Olympics in Paris this summer.