Naomi Osaka feels reinvigorated and believes she can return to an elite level in 2025, as the two-time Australian Open champion prepares for another tilt at the Melbourne slam.

Osaka, who won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 as well as the US Open in 2018 and 2020, returned to competitive action in 2024 after giving birth to her daughter in 2023.

The former world number one, now ranked 58th, has struggled for consistency since her return, failing to make it past the second round at any of the four grand slams last year.

She will begin the new season at the Auckland Classic before heading to Melbourne Park for the first major of the year, and is expecting better results than she managed in 2024.

"I think 2024 humbled me, but I think I also grew a lot," she told reporters.

"I worked way harder than I ever have before and it was very painful to not get the results I wanted, but I feel like I am growing and learning.

"I'm really excited for this year. I played some really good matches in 2024. What keeps me going in tennis is, I guess, stepping on the court and learning something new every day.

"Obviously I'm really competitive, I love to win tournaments, to win matches, to play the best players in the world and see what I can achieve."

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Catch Naomi and Madison chatting all things Auckland and getting ready for the tournament! https://t.co/jeA7BPR9Fa pic.twitter.com/hGcSAvDRpt
— ASB Classic (@ASB_Classic) December 29, 2024

Osaka, who saw her 2024 season cut short by injury in October, previously withdrew from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon in 2021 to focus on her mental health.

Asked if she was now in a better place, Osaka said: "Yeah, definitely. A year or two back, I didn't know whether I wanted to play again.

"I felt like, since the first time people knew about me, it was such a fast whirlwind I didn't really have time to breathe.

"I think having time with my family and having my daughter gave me the space to understand that I have a deep love for tennis and that I would love to see where that could go."

Osaka is seeded seventh for the Auckland Classic and will open her campaign against Lina Glushko on Monday.