WTA Indian Wells: Naomi Osaka only included thanks to a wild card
Naomi Osaka has been wildcarded into the Indian Wells WTA 1000 event. Only because of her world ranking position would the Japanese not have had a starting place in California.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Feb 18, 2022, 04:38 pm
It may sound irritating, but it's true: Naomi Osaka has been wildcarded into the Indian Wells WTA 1000 event. Yes, the world ranking position for the Japanese is no longer sufficient for direct qualification for the prestigious event in California, Osaka is currently only ranked 82nd in the WTA charts.
For the organizers in Indian Wells, the award to Naomi Osaka is of course a no-brainer. Especially since the best-earning athlete from 2020 and 2021 last triumphed in 2018 at the WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells. The first really big title for the young Japanese, by the way.
"Returning to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the place where I was able to win my first major title, is special," Osaka is quoted as saying by the organizers. "It was special in 2018 and it will be special this year too," the Japanese is convinced.
The Indian Wells WTA 1000 event will take place from March 7th to 20th, 2022. The defending champion is the Spaniard Paula Badosa, who surprisingly won in California in 2021. The newly crowned Australian Open winner Ash Barty will start the race as number one.