Naomi Osaka will return to the top 5o of the WTA Rankings after reaching her first WTA final in three years at the Auckland Open.
Producing arguably her best performance of the week, the former world No 1 defeated Alycia Parks 6-4, 6-2 to make her first final since welcoming her daughter in July 2023.
Osaka was broken just once throughout the contest, breaking her American opponent four times across an hour and 11 minutes of action.
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I’m happy to get through to the final,” said seventh seed Osaka in her on-court interview. “I’ve actually never gotten to the final of a tournament the week before Melbourne [Australian Open].
“This is a career first for me. I think in my head I’m really happy there are always things to improve and get better, no matter how old you are.
“She [Parks] was hitting such amazing shots. I kept thinking to myself: ‘Give her one more ball to play – try to get lucky’.
“I know there was one net cord ball that I really needed, so I’m really sorry to her but I really needed that. I just tried to focus on my serve and kept pushing.”
It will be Osaka’s first WTA final in 1,008 days since she reached the final of the 2022 Miami Open – where she was beaten by Iga Swiatek.
Should the Japanese defeat fifth seed Clara Tauson in Sunday’s final, she would win her eighth WTA title and her first since triumphing at the 2021 Australian Open almost four years ago.
Osaka was ranked 57th heading into the WTA 250 event following a solid, if unspectacular, return to action post-maternity leave in 2024.
However, by reaching her 12th career singles final, the 27-year-old is set to return to the top 50 of the WTA Rankings.
Osaka is currently 49th on the WTA Live Rankings, holding 1,145 ranking points following her victory over Parks on Saturday.
Should Osaka lose Sunday’s final to Tauson and Polina Kudermetova defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane International final, the Japanese would drop back one place and be ranked 5oth on Monday.
However, should the four-time Grand Slam champion defeat her Danish opponent in Auckland, she would hold 1,232 ranking points and provisionally move up to world No 42.
Win or lose, Osaka’s run in Auckland bodes well as she looks to rise back towards the top of the sport in 2025.
The Japanese had her fair share of near-misses in 2024 – most notably her French Open loss to Iga Swiatek – and saw her season end early due to a back injury sustained at the China Open.
However, win or lose on Sunday, the signs are promising for the Japanese over the next 12 months.
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