‘She can do some big damage’ – Barbara Schett backs Naomi Osaka to ‘get better and better’ ahead of Australian Open

Barbara Schett has tipped Naomi Osaka to do “some big damage in the future” as she prepares to play her first Grand Slam in 15 months.

Osaka made her return to action in Brisbane earlier this month after giving birth to daughter Shai in July 2023.

Eurosport expert Schett thinks Osaka might need some time to get back to her very best but is excited by what she saw in Brisbane.

“When I watched her, she’s just going to get better and better,” said Schett.

“And she’s one of those women coming back from pregnancy who has the power, and the power is good in women’s tennis nowadays. So I think if she stays fit and healthy, and she hangs in there as well after a few losses – probably we have to give her a little bit of time – she can definitely do some big damage again in the future.”

Schett says she was “surprised” that Osaka withdrew from her match against Raducanu as it would have a chance to return to Rod Laver Arena, where she lifted two Australian Open titles.

“I’m a little bit surprised because it would have been one more match for her to play to get ready before she hits the Australian Open,” she said.

“But we know that in Brisbane she had a very tough match against Karolina Pliskova which went the distance and if you haven’t played for a long time, she needs some time to recover and get used to that impact from matches because it’s completely different than practice.

“Hopefully, it’s not something that worries her and it’s not a little injury or something like that. But I was also surprised to see that she pulled out of that match because it would have been nice to play a match on Rod Laver Arena in front of a big crowd to get used to that environment again.

“But who knows? She’s the only one who knows the reasons.”

Last year’s Australian Open finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina met in the Brisbane final last week.

Schett thinks the result is a big boost for Rybakina ahead of the Australian Open.

“It’s great for Rybakina and that should give her a lot of confidence.

“The two of them in the past they’ve always had tight matches, so it definitely gives Sabalenka something to think about.

“It’s one thing to lose against Rybakina but the way she lost against her was not ideal…I think if they face each other again, Rybakina could think, ‘oh, last time in Brisbane I beat her so hopefully it’s going to go my way again’. There’s a lot of mental components which will come into play when they face each other.

“But the two of them for me, along with Iga Swiatek, they are the contenders to win the Australian Open. All three of them have played some tremendous tennis, Iga at the United Cup, and the other two in Brisbane. So it’s going to be super, super interesting.”

Elina Svitolina also impressed in the first week of the season as she reached the final in Auckland, where she lost to Coco Gauff.

Svitolina only returned to the tour last April after giving birth and made the French Open quarter-finals and then Wimbledon semis.

“She’s always a big hurdle for anybody out there, because we know that she moves extremely well and she brings the ball back one more time than anybody else, ” said Schett.

“She’s had an incredible last 10 months…and starting the year with the finals in Auckland is tremendous. To be honest, I don’t think that she can, or she will, win the Australian Open, I think there’s just too many other players with more power. That’s the problem I think she has.

“Sometimes when she plays against somebody who’s steady, but with a lot of power, I think she can go deep into the tunnel. It depends a little bit on the draw, but I can see that she could reach a quarter or a semis for sure. I’m not sure if she can go further.”

The Australian Open starts on Sunday, January 14.