Naomi Osaka reaches first final since 2022 in Auckland, will face Clara Tauson for title

Naomi Osaka is back in a WTA final.

The four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, who returned to the tour as a mom at the beginning of last year, outdid American Alycia Parks in the semifinals of Auckland on Saturday, 6-4, 6-2, to move through to the title match at the Australian Open lead-up tournament.

And it was an impressive serving display from Osaka, who not only won 75% of her first serve points, but who also fought off nine of the 10 break points she faced during the match, and converted on four of her six break point opportunities.

In the end, the Japanese trailblazer pulled off several firsts.

First of all, she’s into her first final since becoming a mom. Since coming back at the start of 2024, her best results had been two quarterfinals, first in Doha last February, then at the grass-court event in ’s-Hertogenbosch last June.

Secondly, it’s actually her first final since Miami in 2022. She fell to Iga Swiatek in that final almost three years ago, after which the Pole rose to No. 1 for the first time. Osaka will now chase her first title since the 2021 Australian Open.

And finally, a first that Osaka described herself in her post-match interview after the victory over Parks: “Of course I’m really happy to get through to the final, but I’ve actually never gotten to the final of the tournament the week before Melbourne,” she said, “so this is like a career-first for me.”

This will be Osaka’s 12th career final. She’s 7-4 in her first 11.

Standing between Osaka and the Auckland title will be Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who defeated another American, Robin Montgomery, in the other semifinal, 6-4, 6-3.

Tauson is through to the fourth final of her career, all three of her previous ones coming in 2021, when she won titles in Lyon and Luxembourg and finished runner-up at Courmayeur.

Osaka and Tauson will be playing each other for the first time.