Naomi Osaka admitted she’s been dealing with an illness since Christmas Eve, and honestly, it’s a rough way to kick off her 2026 season.

She lost 6-4, 6-2 to World No. 52 Maria Sakkari in her first United Cup match, but even after the defeat, she didn’t sound too down. Actually, she seemed pretty thoughtful, saying there were still some good takeaways.

“Honestly, for a first match, it wasn’t bad. I’m just grateful I get another shot out there.

“I’m trying new things. I know I should’ve been more aggressive on the returns—I started to do that towards the end. It’s about not being scared to make mistakes and just going for it from the start.

“And I’m working on not being so predictable. I’ve known that about myself since the US Open. I always worry about messing up, so I’m trying to break free from that.”

She also opened up about being sick, and you could see her coughing during the match. She’s been fighting this bug since Christmas Eve, and yeah, she said it “sucks” to drag it into the new year.

“I’m definitely not at the level I want to be at, which is frustrating because I had a great off-season, and I really thought I’d come in strong. Then I got sick. I think I’m almost over it, but I’m still not 100%.

“So right now, I’m just focused on getting better every day. I’ve got the cough, runny nose, and all that gross stuff. Hopefully, it clears up before the Australian Open.

“It’s been a while—I’m surprised it’s still hanging around. I think my daughter gave it to me, honestly. It started right before Christmas Eve.

“It’s been tough. But that’s why I appreciate being here. The team vibe keeps you motivated. I do feel bad I couldn’t get the win. But we’re all here trying our best, and if it doesn’t work out, it sucks. We’ll just keep going and try again next time.”

It’s finally official after weeks of whispers: Venus Williams is coming back to the Australian Open, thanks to a wildcard announced today by tournament organizers. The seven-time Grand Slam champ returns to Melbourne for the first time since 2021.

Five years have slipped by since Venus last played at the Australian Open—a place where she’s left her mark, reaching the final in both 2003 and 2017. Both times, her sister Serena stood in her way.

Venus, now 45, had already committed to the ASB Classic in Auckland next week, also via a wildcard. Ranked all the way down at world no. 582, she needs these invitations to get into top-level tournaments. That’s never really stopped her whenever she’s decided she wants back in.

She’s the final wildcard for the women’s singles that Tennis Australia announced, filling out a list mostly made up of homegrown talent: Talia Gibson, Priscilla Hon, Emerson Jones, and Tailah Preston. There’s also France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, who got in through a deal with the French Tennis Federation, and American Elizabeth Mandlik via the USTA. Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas rounds out the group after winning the Asia-Pacific Wild Card Playoff in Chengdu.

Venus back on a big stage just feels right. She’s picked up 54 wins in 21 trips to the Australian Open. Her first was way back in 1998—28 years ago, believe it or not—when she reached the quarterfinals. She’s made it to the last eight at Melbourne nine times, and those two finals against Serena are still fresh for fans.

Her last run in Melbourne came in 2021, when she made it to the second round. She even became the first player over 40 to win a Grand Slam match since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 2004. She beat Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens in straight sets, then lost to qualifier Sara Errani in a rough match.

Venus has proven she can still mix it up with the best. She grabbed a win at the DC Open over Peyton Stearns, who was ranked No. 35 at the time. She played in Cincinnati and at the US Open too, though she didn’t notch any more wins.

Doubles? She’s still got it there, too. At the US Open, she reached the quarterfinals with Leylah Fernandez and teamed up with Reilly Opelka in mixed doubles (though that run didn’t last past round one). The doubles wildcards for Australia aren’t out yet. Honestly, don’t be shocked if Venus gets another invite.