On Monday, Naomi Osaka faced an early exit in her Grand Slam comeback at the Australian Open, losing 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to Caroline Garcia in the tournament’s first round. The French 16th seed secured the opening set with a single break against Osaka, who appeared rusty in her performance. Garcia then dominated the second set tie-break, securing her advancement in Melbourne. Osaka, a Japanese tennis star with four Grand Slam victories, took a hiatus from the sport in September 2022, citing mental health concerns.
Returning for the 2024 season after the birth of her baby girl, Shai, she faced defeat in her opening match. Garcia acknowledged and respected her opponent after the victory on Rod Laver Arena under the lights.
Flying into R2 🛫
No.16 seed @CaroGarcia gets the better of the returning Naomi Osaka 6-4, 7-6(2) in a high-quality encounter!#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ltdhMdswnl
— wta (@WTA) January 15, 2024
“I have a lot of respect for Naomi as a person and as a player,” she said.
“She’s been through a lot, but I’m just very glad to see her back and I hope she can enjoy the tennis now and have fun out there. She’s a great girl.
“I mean, six months after giving birth she is playing quite amazing already, so we have to watch out.”
Osaka had limited competitive tennis exposure leading up to the Australian Open, with her sole pre-tournament appearance at this month’s Brisbane International. In that event, she exited in the second round after a defeat to Karolina Pliskova.
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