Exited in the third round of the Tokyo Olympic Games, at home, in 2021, Naomi Osaka confided on Saturday her intention to compete in the Parisian edition this summer. “I would love to play, if they allow me,” said the Japanese on the sidelines of the Billie Jean King Cup with which she returned after four years of absence and helped qualify her country for the finals. But to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, the former world number 1 must “respect the eligibility rules of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), including participation in the BJK Cup”, specifies the Games website.
More precisely, for a player it is a question of having participated in at least two matches of this team event since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, the player with four Grand Slam titles only returns to the BJK Cup this weekend. end and will not have the opportunity to play a second meeting between now and the final phase in November in Seville.
Back to competition since January
The option presented to it therefore consists, through the Japanese Federation, of submitting a request for an exemption to the ITF. One of the arguments to plead her case could be found in her 15-month absence from the WTA circuit, during which she gave birth to her first child.
Since her return to competition in early January, the 26-year-old has risen from 831st to 193rd in the world rankings, although she has only reached the quarter-finals once in six tournaments played. “If I play (in Paris), I have big ambitions and I hope I can do something very well and win a medal,” said Osaka, who lit the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.
