US Open champion Naomi Osaka arrives for Brisbane International

US Open champion Naomi Osaka is the first overseas seed to arrive for the Brisbane International, starting her vital follow-up season as a Grand Slam winner.

US Open champion Naomi Osaka is the first overseas seed to arrive for the Brisbane International, starting her vital follow-up season as a Grand Slam winner.

Osaka flew into Brisbane Christmas Eve on a flight from Los Angeles and is expected to practise later at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Florida-based Osaka will be seeded second for the Brisbane International women’s event, which starts on Monday, and will be one of the leading contenders for the Australian Open crown next month.

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The Japanese 21-year-old’s role as the uncomplaining if tearful foil to Serena Williams’ tantrum thrower in their US Open final, which made the Japanese the first from her country to take out a major singles title, won her admirers around the world.

The Brisbane International has eight top-12 women entries, including 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and dual Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and two of the “big four’’ of men’s tennis, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Naomi Osaka won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Only Osaka’s tennis next year to answer the question of whether she will become the latest woman to have the “Grand Slam blues’’.

Osaka lost the last four matches of her year in which she raised from No.68 to No.5 in the world rankings, boosted by her extraordinary US Open win.

Osaka’s Tokyo runner-up, Beijing semi-final finish and three round-robin losses at the WTA Finals were nowhere near as drastic a slump as Stephens’ was in late 2017 following the American’s US Open win.

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But Osaka pulled out of two other tournaments in China in October, citing a viral illness and then injury, before fighting back tears as she retired from her last WTA Finals match due to a leg injury.

Osaka placed seventh among Google’s most searched athletes for 2018 and ninth among athletes in the United States, where she is based.

She was the second most searched woman in Japan according to Google’s list.

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