MELBOURNE, Australia – Naomi Osaka returned to Grand Slam tennis the same way she left it after maternity leave, losing 6-4, 7-6(2) to Caroline Garcia at Rod Laver Arena earlier in the day. Lost in the round. Australian Open on Monday.
The experienced French 16th seed, who like Osaka is an aggressive baseliner, was always going to be a big challenge for the two-time Australian Open champion, who returned to tournament tennis only two weeks ago after being out for 15 months.
The strength that brought Osaka four Grand Slam titles before the birth of daughter Shai was still there, but it always took time for the 26-year-old Osaka to rediscover her accuracy in clutch moments.
A double fault in the fifth game gave the 30-year-old Garcia his first break point of the match and the former world No. 4 converted it quickly to take the lead.
Osaka feared a break back at deuce in the eighth game, but sent a routine backhand into the net. Garcia served back-to-back aces before taking the set.
The Japanese former world No. 1 won her first three service games of the second set, but Garcia’s serve was excellent and Osaka was unable to put any pressure on her.
Osaka defeated Garcia 6-2, 6-3 en route to victory in 2021 at Melbourne Park. But it was a very tough match, the second set was decided in a tiebreaker.
Still hitting the mark with her first serve, Garcia took a big lead and won her first match point when Osaka fired another backhand into the net.
“The competitor in me is really disappointed that I’m not winning these matches,” Osaka said in a post-match press conference. “So I wouldn’t say, this comeback is exactly what I thought it would be because I’m so delusional that I think I could have won the tournament.”
At that time she smiled and added, “I think my illusion is what helps me win the tournament.”
“I have a lot of respect for Naomi as a person and a player – she’s been out for 15 months,” Garcia said. “I’m very happy to see her back. Six months after giving birth, she is already playing quite well. We have to be careful.”
Osaka was one of the last three Australian Open champions to return to play at Melbourne Park for the first time after becoming mothers, along with 2016 winner Angelique Kerber and 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki.
It was Osaka’s first defeat in eight trips to the Australian Open and her third consecutive defeat in the opening round of a Grand Slam after falling at the first hurdle at the French and US Opens in 2022.
After those tournaments she took time off from tennis for her own well-being. She is not planning any more breaks at the moment.
“Yeah, I think I just have to live day by day and train hard and play a lot of matches,” he said. “And hopefully my dreams come true.”
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report,
