24-year-old Naomi Osaka started 2021 by winning the Australian Open for the second time.
But after that, the year was mostly heavy for the Japanese.
Instead of her results, she created the most attention off the track.
In connection with the French Open, she boycotted the press conferences due to mental illness, and after she surprisingly left the Olympics already in the third round, she spoke out about how much pressure she had felt.
Started training again
After Osaka left the US Open in September, where she was reigning champion, already in the third round announced that she would take a break from tennis for an indefinite future, and told that wins did not make her happy anymore.
But now she's on her way back.
Last month, she started training tennis again, and yesterday the WTA tour announced that Osaka is registered for the Melbourne Summer Set, a warm-up tournament ahead of the 2022 first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open.
Osaka is not the only well-qualified player who is registered for the tournament.
Also US Open winner Emma Raducanu, as well as the former world setter Simona Halep will be present.