Naomi Osaka signed up to return to Auckland in 2026, where she will aim to make "a strong start" to the year and prepare well for the Australian Open.
After debuting at the ASB Classic in 2017 as a teenager and reaching the quarterfinal, Osaka returned to Auckland at the start of the 2025 season. And her second appearance saw the former world No. 1 make the final before an unfortunate abdominal injury forced her to retire to Clara Tauson after she won the first set - the Japanese burst into tears afterward.
And now, although it's only September, Osaka has already picked New Zealand as the place where she wants to launch her 2026 season. At this year's US Open, the 27-year-old Japanese made her first Grand Slam semifinal in four years. When addressing her decision to return to Auckland, the current world No. 14 claimed she would enter 2025 confident.
Osaka's statement on playing in Auckland
Having a strong start in Auckland would be important in building the year and heading into the Australian Open. Last year I did pretty well in Auckland and although I had to retire in the final, it definitely gave me a lot of confidence going into Melbourne. The biggest lessons I will carry into next year are coming off a really strong US swing and doing well in the US Open, but I think the whole year has been full of really great lessons," the four-time Grand Slam champion said.
After retiring injured in last year's Auckland final, Osaka had an MRI to determine the exact level of her abdominal injury. And while the results weren't great, the Japanese still gave a shot to the Australian Open - where she made the third round before retiring mid-match against Belinda Bencic.
When Osaka returns to Auckland in the first week of 2026, she will certainly hope to do well but also avoid injury setbacks ahead of the Australian Open.
