Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka return as Australian Open announce entry list for 2024 edition

Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka are set to make their returns to Grand Slams after being named in the entry list for the upcoming edition of the Australian Open.

Both Nadal and Osaka will be making their comebacks in the Brisbane International that will take place before the tournament at Rod Laver Arena.

Nadal made his way into the Australian Open on the basis of Protected Ranking along with Croatia’s Marin Cilic, Canada’s Denis Shapovalov and Milos Raonic, USA’s Reilly Opelka and Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely.

Osaka, on the other hand, was picked on Special Ranking along with USA’s Jennifer Brady, Amanda Anisimova, Shelby Rogers and Caty McNally, Germany’s Angelique Kerber and Australia’s Ajila Tomlanovic.

Nadal hasn’t played any form of tennis since crashing out of the Australian Open second round earlier this year. He also backed out of French Open 2023 due to which he fell out of the top 100 in the rankings for the first time in 20 years.

Osaka, on the other hand, will make her return after becoming a mother earlier this year in July. The 26-year-old has been out of professional tennis since the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis back in September 2022.

Kerber, who became a mother with partner Franco Bianco, back in February, is also making her comeback. She last played in the 2022 Wimbledon, where she crashed out in the Round of 32.

The women’s draw for the Australian Open 2024 has 99 direct entries while the men’s draw has 97. Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic are the top seeds.

Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion, who defeated Elena Rybakina in the final last year, is the second seed in the women’s draw.

The Australian Open 2024 is scheduled to take place from January 14 to January 28.