Naomi Osaka gets Olympics news she was dreaming of as Emma Raducanu left sweating
Naomi Osaka's Olympics fate could be bad news for Emma Raducanu.
Naomi Osaka has received the news she has been hoping for ahead of the Olympics.
The Japanese Tennis Association have confirmed that the International Tennis Federation have given the former world No. 1 the go-ahead to compete at Paris 2024 despite being ranked at No. 125.
The ITF reserves two wildcards for former Grand Slam champions to enter the draw after their ranking has slipped due to injury or absence. With one appearing to go to Osaka it means that Emma Raducanu has an even smaller chance of getting the last remaining wildcard.
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The official rankings cut-off for the Olympics has passed, with this week’s standings being used to determine who can represent their country in Paris this summer. But there are plenty of high-profile players who didn't make the cut.
Osaka is among those whose ranking wasn’t high enough as she recently had a 15-month pregnancy break and only returned to competition in January. But the Japanese Tennis Association has now confirmed that the four-time Grand Slam champion has been given a place at this year’s Games.
Japan’s governing body for tennis confirmed that the ITF cleared Osaka to compete by awarding her a “special ranking” reserved for players who had been absent from the tour. They said she also qualifies as a former Grand Slam winner.
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It means there is only one other spot left for a Major champion to get a pass into the Olympics and competition is especially fierce this year. Raducanu is one of the hopefuls whose ranking didn’t grant her entry into Paris 2024 but her status as a former US Open champion means she could be considered for an ITF wildcard.
The Brit shut down her 2023 season to undergo three surgeries and only returned this year. Her ranking currently sits at No. 209. But there are other players who are likely to be picked by the ITF instead of Raducanu.
Like Osaka, Kerber is another player who recently returned from giving birth to her first child. The German is a former world No. 1 and has three Grand Slam titles under her belt. Caroline Wozniacki could also be in contention for the second ITF wildcard.
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The 2018 Australian Open champion retired four years ago and, in that time, she had two children. But she decided to leave retirement and return to professional tennis last summer, storming into the second week at the US Open.
Another former No. 1, her impressive resume will be another thing the ITF will consider when awarding their special places into the Olympics. It means that Raducanu will be left sweating as she waits to learn whether she could get a wildcard, or whether she will be snubbed for Kerber or Wozniacki.
However, it seems the 2021 US Open winner has already made peace with the idea that it is unlikely she will be in Paris. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 last October, she said: “Obviously the Olympics is such a big thing in sport. I think I could play another four if I wanted to. So this one isn’t any immediate rush or pressure. I think for me it’s just getting back on court. I love the Slams but of course I would want to have the Olympic experience. I’ll just see how it goes, if I even qualify or how it happens from there.”
