Osaka feeling at home, even around media

She wins a first-round match, then breaks her silence and opens up with reporters.

TOKYO — Naomi Osaka, this country’s most famous athlete, first emerged on Centre Court at Ariake Tennis Park on Sunday at 10 a.m. in a gray T-shirt, black leggings and neon orange sneakers.

The leggings were brave. The sun already was grilling the as the temperature crept toward 90 degrees. Pop music echoed through the nearly empty stadium. She slammed serves for a halfhour before dipping from the muggy heat.

Osaka returned just before 1 p.m. wearing a red dress with a Japanese flag stitched onto the left side of the chest and a red visor over her red boxed braids for her first competitive match since withdrawing from the French Open in May. And she didn’t skip a beat after the two-month break, throttling the 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai in straight sets — 6-1, 6-4 — in 1 hour 27 minutes.

Osaka, the No. 2 player in the world, overwhelmed Zheng. She served the first of her six aces for the match’s opening point and jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set. She finished with 25 winners. Zheng had 10. Osaka seemed at ease. She bounced around. She took air backhands and forehands after her rare mistakes. She celebrated executing tough shots with a “Come on!”

Osaka returned to the court Monday with another dominant performance in the second round, cruising past Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic in straight sets — 6-3, 6-2 — to the third round. The match lasted 65 minutes.

Osaka will face either Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova or Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Osaka, 23, hadn’t played since causing a stir — and drawing a $15,000 fine — for not speaking to the media following her first-round match in France. She then withdrew, citing concerns over her mental health. She wrote on Instagram that she had suffered depression since the 2018 U.S. Open. She said she would “take some time away” from tennis. That included skipping Wimbledon.

Minutes after Sunday’s performance, Osaka, who was not obligated to speak to the media, stopped for three groups of journalists in the mixed zone outside the stadium. She was at ease again.

“The Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a kid so I feel like the break that I took was very needed,” Osaka said. “I feel definitely a little bit refreshed and I’m happy again.”

The match originally was scheduled for Saturday but moved to Sunday because of Osaka’s participation in the opening ceremony. The late scheduling change was odd considering that Osaka said she accepted the opportunity to light the cauldron in March. The selection solidified Osaka as the host’s face of these Games.

The daughter of a Japanese mother and a Haitian father born in Japan and raised in the United States, Osaka also represents part of Japan’s efforts to portray a more inclusive culture.

Osaka is the world’s highest-paid female athlete. She has taken the torch from Serena Williams as tennis’ most prominent female, recently appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. Her threepart Netflix documentary debuted days before the Games. Between the lines, there is immense pressure on her to assume the top spot on the medal podium.

“I feel very, very proud,” Osaka said. “When I lit the flame, I was super honored. That’s a position that you dream about and not anyone can do it. And so, for me, when they asked me if I wanted to, I was very surprised but very honored and I’m just happy to be here and happy to play, especially in Tokyo.”

People weren’t allowed inside Olympic Stadium to watch Osaka spark the symbolic beginning of the Games as the coronavirus continues spreading throughout the country at a troubling rate. They weren’t inside Ariake Tennis Park either.

Osaka’s powerful showing should have elicited a frenzy, but the spectator ban left the 30 rows of seats surrounding the court sparsely populated. Light applause for Osaka derived from the event workers.

The only fans were shown virtually on two screens watching from different countries. Japan, Australia, China and Mexico were among the nations represented.

Minutes before Osaka’s win Sunday, Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, the only player in the world ranked ahead of her, dropped an opening match against Sara Sorribes of Spain in a stunning upset. Barty won Wimbledon two weeks ago.

Osaka wasn’t in that field. She returned Sunday refreshed, happy and dominant.

“I was just focused on playing tennis,” Osaka said, “and I guess I feel a little bit out of my body right now.”