Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu are in rivalry to win a WTA award after they have been nominated for the Comeback Participant of the Yr.
This week, the WTA introduced nominees for a number of awards they hand out after each season. And in a single class, two former Grand Slam champions discovered their place.
In terms of Osaka, she missed your complete 2023 season resulting from being pregnant. After returning firstly of 2024, the previous world No. 1 had her greatest consequence on the WTA 1000 match in Doha, the place she reached the quarterfinal.
Whereas the 27-year-old loved an ideal week in Doha, one factor about her comeback that in all probability caught into the minds of tennis followers is her French Open second-round assembly towards Iga Swiatek. In her first Roland Garros as a mom, Osaka almost turned the primary participant since 2021 to beat the Pole in Paris. Sadly for the four-time Grand Slam champion, she in the end fell simply quick after blowing a 5-2 third-set lead and a match level. Nevertheless, it was nonetheless a extremely spectacular efficiency that reminded of her greatest days.
In October, Osaka reached the round-of-16 on the WTA 1000 match in Beijing and was up by a set and a break towards Coco Gauff earlier than a again damage pressured her to retire. Sadly, the Japanese did not get to play in some other tournaments in the remainder of the season. Ultimately, she completed with a 22-18 document in 2024 and bought to No. 59 within the rankings.
Naomi Osaka© China Open/Instagram – Honest Use
On the opposite facet, Raducanu performed in simply 5 tournaments final 12 months earlier than present process surgical procedures on each wrists and her foot in 2023 Could.
After kicking off her comeback within the first week of 2024, the Briton made her first semifinal since 2022 in Nottingham – clinched her first two top-10 wins – and in addition reached the Wimbledon round-of-16, which marked her first second week at a Grand Slam since 2021. Additionally, the 22-year-old gained round 250 spots on the WTA rankings and is about to enter 2025 as world No. 58.
In addition to Osaka and Raducanu, Paula Badosa, Karolina Muchova and Amanda Anisimova have been additionally nominated for the WTA Comeback Participant of the Yr award.
Osaka admitted to being impatient with wanting huge outcomes
All through 2023, the Japanese former world No. 1 made it clear a number of occasions that she would need large ends in her comeback and extra Grand Slams. However after being out for 16 months and giving beginning, the four-time Grand Slam champion unsurprisingly struggled together with her outcomes and consistency in 2024.
However whereas Osaka immediately not returning to Slam-winning kind wasn’t stunning, that did not imply that the 27-year-old was content material with it.
“I’m the type of person who wants things to happen quickly, but I’m just understanding that tennis has come such a long way and these are the best players in the world. However, it was her ability to dream big that arguably led to her mesmeric rise to the pinnacle of tennis, which she also laughed about,” Osaka advised The Guardian earlier this 12 months.
‘I’ve had this since I used to be little. However the folks they name loopy are often those which can be the those who do one thing actually spectacular. My delusional trait might be me daydreaming and inventing a situation I need to occur and typically they do occur.”
Raducanu fired a stern warning to her competition
Just like Osaka, the British tennis star also sustained an injury late in the season. But unlike the Japanese, she was able to recover in time for Billie Jean King Cup and participate at the BJK Cup Finals event in Malaga. There, the 2021 US Open went 3-3 after ousting Jule Niemeier, Rebecca Marino and Viktorija Hruncakova in straight sets.
Emma Raducanu© LTA/Instagram – Fair Use
And after appearing in 13 tournaments this year and posting a 23-13 record, Raducanu stated she believes she is a player nobody wants to draw early in the tournament.
“Yeah, I believe I began the 12 months off fairly effectively for the primary half, you recognize as much as Wimbledon. Then I struggled a bit bit extra with my physique I believe bodily. Wasn’t in a position to play the total calendar and keep on courtroom as a lot as I might have favored. However my evaluation is, you, I believe typically I want reminding, I am prime 60 on this planet and I’ve performed lower than 15 occasions, which is fairly extraordinary, in a means. I’ve to pat myself on the again for that. I do know I am a harmful participant. I do know nobody desires to tug my names within the draw. I take delight in that, and I am trying ahead to hopefully staying on courtroom longer subsequent 12 months,” the 22-year-old mentioned.
It stays to be seen if both Osaka and Raducanu will likely be picked for the WTA Comeback Participant of the Yr of if will likely be another person.
