Naomi Osaka accepts wildcard entry to WTA 125 tournament following poor outing at Madrid Open

After suffering an early exit at the ongoing Madrid Open, former World No.1 Naomi Osaka has taken some drastic measures as she is scheduled to compete at an upcoming WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo.

The Japanese superstar fell to Italian Lucia Bronzetti in the opening round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. Osaka has looked far from her Grand Slam winning form ever since returning from giving birth to her first child two years ago.

The Japanese superstar began the 2025 season by reaching the final at the ASB Classic in January, where she was forced to withdraw after winning the first set against Clara Tauson. Subsequently, Osaka has only played in four tournaments, with her best result being a round of 16 loss to Italian Jasmine Paolini.

After several members of the tennis community have called for the four-time Grand Slam champion to play at a smaller event in order to regain her rhythm, Osaka seems to have finally obliged. The 27-year old has accepted a wildcard entry to L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA clay-court 125 tournament scheduled to run from April 27 - May 4, 2025. Perhaps this event will allow Osaka to gain more match-play prior to the Rome Open and Roland Garros, which will undoubtedly have a higher level of competition.