Naomi Osaka plans to return to WTA tour at Montreal in August

Japan's Naomi Osaka prepares to serve to Japan's Misaki Doi during their match at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

World No. 2 Naomi Osaka has committed to making her return to the WTA tour at the National Bank Open in Montreal in August, event organizers announced Wednesday.

Osaka hasn't played in a WTA event since withdrawing from the French Open in late May due to mental health reasons. She also decided to bypass Wimbledon due to the same concerns.

The 23-year-old Osaka is preparing to play in the Tokyo Olympics, where she will represent her native Japan.

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty of Australia, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and defending champion (2019) Bianca Andreescu of Canada are among others who have pledged to play in the tournament slated for Aug. 9-15.

"We are delighted to welcome the likes of Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka, as well as Bianca Andreescu, who we know will get a reception for the ages from our passionate fans in Montreal," tournament director Eugene Lapierre said in a news release.

Osaka bowed out of the French Open before the second round two weeks and directly cited challenging media sessions as the reason she wouldn't play. She was fined for her decision to skip mandatory post-match news conferences at the tournament.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, said she deals with anxiety and depression and has struggled to address it since 2018.

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