Naomi Osaka's opening match pushed back, raising speculation of a role in Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony
World No.2 returns to competition for 1st time after French Open withdrawal
Naomi Osaka's opening match in the Olympic tennis tournament has been pushed back from Saturday to Sunday.
Organizers did not immediately provide a reason for the switch. They said only that the move came from the tournament referee.
Osaka was originally scheduled to play 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China in the very first contest of the Games on centre court Saturday morning.
One reason for the move could be that Osaka might have a role in the opening ceremony Friday night. That wouldn't leave her much time to rest before a Saturday morning match.
Osaka is returning to competition for the first time in nearly two months after she withdrew from the French Open following the first round to take a mental health break.
She is one of Japan's top athletes.
