Returning Osaka loses in first round but she won’t stop dreaming
Naomi Osaka’s grand slam return ended prematurely in a first-round loss at the Australian Open to 16th seed Caroline Garcia.
Playing in her first major tournament since the US Open in 2022 following the birth of daughter Shai last summer, Osaka gave Garcia a good fight but fell to a 6-4 7-6 (2) defeat on Rod Laver Arena. It is the first time the 26-year-old, who won the title in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021, has lost in the opening round here.
Osaka certainly looked the part, her iridescent jacket, dress and shoes shimmering in the floodlights.
She made her return in Brisbane a fortnight ago, beating Tamara Korpatsch before a narrow loss to Karolina Pliskova.
This was a step up both in occasion and opponent but Osaka showed her serve and groundstrokes have lost none of their potency, drawing grasps from the crowd with her crisp ball-striking.
There were a few too many errors, though, and Garcia’s break of serve to lead 3-2 ultimately decided the set.
Neither player could find the breakthrough in the second set but France’s Garcia, who served 13 aces in all, was the stronger in the tie-break.
“I thought it was a really good match,” said Osaka. “I felt like I did the best that I could possibly do. It was just really nice to be on Rod Laver again, hear the audience, how much they interacted with the match. That was fun.
“I wouldn’t say this comeback is how I thought because I’m delusional enough to think I could have won the tournament. I think my delusion is what allows me to win the tournaments.
“I think I just have to keep living day by day and training hard and playing a lot more matches, and hopefully my dreams will come true.”
Coco Gauff eased into the second round, brushing aside Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3 6-0, but Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was an early casualty. The Czech seventh seed, a surprise winner at the All England Club last summer, won only three games in a 6-1 6-2 thumping by Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska.
There was more success for Ukraine on the 1573 Arena, where 19th seed Elina Svitolina, who missed last year’s tournament following the birth of daughter Skai, saw off Australian wild card Taylah Preston 6-2 6-2.
Sixth seed Ons Jabeur made aconfidentstart,beatingqualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3 6-1 to set up a second-round clash with Russian Mirra Andreeva – the third 16-yearold to reach the last 64.
Daniil Medvedev was troubled by the Melbourne heat but benefited from the tearful retirement of opponent Terence Atmane to move through to the second round.
The third seed, twice a beaten finalist here, dropped the first set to French qualifier Atmane and called the trainer for treatment on his thighs.
But ultimately it was Atmane who decided that he could not go on, the 22-yearold calling it a day trailing 5-7 6-2 6-4 1-0 before sobbing on his chair with head in hands.
Last year’s beaten finalist, Stefanos Tsitsipas, also found himself a set down to lucky loserzizoubergsbeforefighting back to win 5-7 6-1 6-1 6-3.