Tennis moms Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki have both been confirmed to play the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who returned to tennis at the start of this season after giving birth to her first child, will represent Japan at the Olympics for the second time. Notably, she had the honor of lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Currently ranked 125th, the 26-year-old Osaka was granted a special ranking by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and also qualifies for the Olympics as a former Grand Slam winner, according to the Japan Tennis Association (JTA).
The 33-year-old Wozniacki, a mom of two, will represent Denmark for the fourth time. The 2018 Australian Open champion, who has qualified as a former Grand Slam winner, achieved her best Olympic result by reaching the quarterfinals at the London 2012 Games.
In the Olympic tennis tournament, there are two reserved spots in both the men’s and women’s singles draws for Grand Slam champions who do not qualify through their ranking or other criteria. The JTA confirmed that Osaka has secured one of these spots for the Paris Games. However, as Eurosport points out, it remains unclear whether she qualified as a former Grand Slam winner or used her protected ranking.
This distinction is significant for other players aiming to qualify. If Osaka secured her place as a former Grand Slam winner, it would preclude Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu from qualifying via the same route. Conversely, if Osaka qualified using her protected ranking, Raducanu could still potentially secure a spot as a former Grand Slam champion.
The women’s singles competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics is set to begin on July 27 at Roland Garros, the home of the French Open in Paris.
