Naomi Osaka Stuns Tennis World With Surprise Grand Slam Comeback Announcement

Naomi Osaka arrives at Roland Garros 2025 with fresh momentum, a new clay-court confidence and a dash of off-court drama after a “scary” 5 a.m. drug-testing knock on her hotel door just 48 hours before main-draw play begins. The four-time Grand Slam champion, now ranked No. 49 following her 15-month maternity hiatus, opens her French Open campaign against Spanish No. 10 seed Paula Badosa in Monday’s second match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. A comeback gathers pace After returning to the tour in January, Osaka has quietly pieced together a 17-9 record on hard and clay courts, reaching the Rome quarterfinals and lifting her ranking from outside the top 800 in six months. “I’m actually enjoying the battle to get back to the top,” she told reporters, noting that extra hours sliding on red dirt have made her movement “the best it’s ever been on clay”. Key storyline: Osaka vs. Badosa first-round blockbuster • Match time: Monday, 26 May, second slot on Lenglen (approx. 1 p.m. local) • Head-to-head: Osaka leads 2-1 (all on hard courts) • What’s at stake: A place in Round 2 versus the winner of Clara Burel vs. Xinyu Wang Clay-court upgrades Osaka has spent the spring working with footwork guru Florian Zitzelsberger, logging practice sets in Mallorca and Madrid to refine her drop shot and defensive slice. She credits post-practice “suicides” on clay for shaving a half-second off her first-step speed. The payoff showed in Rome, where she saved 13 of 15 break points faced. New look, fresh brand push Nike unveiled Osaka’s cherry-blossom-inspired RG25 collection—a pale-pink dress paired with a limited-edition Vapor Pro shoe featuring sakura petals on the heel—continuing the floral theme that began with her sunflower kit in Melbourne. Expect the courtside cameras and social feeds to light up when she walks on court. Motherhood motivation Daughter Shai, born July 2024, travels with Osaka and partner Cordae on a modified schedule. “Knowing she’s watching pushes me to compete with joy,” the 27-year-old says. Tour moms Tatjana Maria and Elina Svitolina have offered logistical tips, including on-site crèche options at Slams. How to watch Naomi Osaka at the French Open 2025 • USA: TNT Sports, truTV and HBO Max simulcast every Osaka match live. • UK: TNT Sports; streaming on Discovery+/Eurosport Player. • India: Sony Six and Sony Liv apps. • France: France TV and Amazon Prime Video. What Osaka needs to reach week two 1. Serve percentage north of 65 %: her Rome run coincided with a 70 % first-serve clip. 2. Short-ball aggression: average rally length on clay this season is down to 4.8 shots when she wins. 3. Early break chances: Badosa’s second-serve points-won rate dips to 41 % under scoreboard pressure. Social buzz & search interest Queries spiking ahead of first ball include “When does Naomi Osaka play in Paris?”, “Naomi Osaka French Open 2025 draw”, “Naomi Osaka ranking after baby”, and “Naomi Osaka drug test story”. Expect SEO traffic to surge around match-time recaps, live score trackers and post-match quotes. What’s next Should Osaka navigate Badosa, a potential Round 3 showdown with No. 5 seed Maria Sakkari looms—a litmus test for her revamped clay game. For now, the spotlight is firmly on Monday’s marquee opener, where Osaka’s quest for a first Roland Garros second-week berth—and a statement comeback—officially begins.