Naomi Osaka defeated Alycia Parks in straight sets at the ASB Classic in New Zealand to reach her first WTA final since 2022 and since returning to tennis last year after giving birth to her first child.
The four-time Grand Slam champion defeated Parks 6-4, 6-2 and advanced to Sunday’s final, where she will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson.
Osaka was playing in her first semifinal since the 2022 Miami Open, where she defeated Belinda Bencic before losing to Iga Świątek in the championship match.
She will be trying to win her first title since the 2021 Australian Open.
On Sunday in New Zealand, Osaka will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson
The Japanese star announced her retirement from tennis just ahead of the 2023 Australian Open after revealing she was pregnant.
Osaka returned to the court at the 2024 Brisbane International but struggled last year to regain the form that made her world No. 1.
Ranked 57th heading to Auckland, her semifinal victory propelled Osaka back into the top 50 of the live WTA rankings.
“Of course I’m very happy to have made it to the final, but I’ve never actually made it to the final of a tournament the week before Melbourne, so this is the first match of my career,” Osaka said on the show Sky Sports Tennis.
“I think I’m always happy that there’s something that can be continually improved or improved upon, no matter how old you are.”
Watch the Auckland Classic final, as well as United Cup events and ATP and WTA events in Brisbane and Hong Kong live on Sky Sports Tennis this weekend or stream with NOW.
