MELBOURNE, Australia — Moments after her Grand Slam comeback resulted in a first-round loss, Naomi Osaka walked again by the gamers’ tunnel the place her identify has a outstanding place amongst current Australian Open champions.
Three matches into her return from 15 months off the tour, and 6 months after the start of her daughter, Shai, Osaka misplaced 6-4, 7-6 (2) to Sixteenth-seeded Caroline Garcia in a good encounter at Rod Laver Arena on Monday evening.
“The competitive in me is really frustrated that I’m not winning these matches, of course,” Osaka instructed a post-match information convention. “So I wouldn’t say, like, this comeback is how I thought because I’m delusional enough to think I could have won the tournament.”
She smiled, earlier than including: “I think my delusion is what allows me to win the tournaments.”
Osaka gained the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020, and the Australian title in 2019 and ’21. This was the primary time she misplaced within the first spherical in Melbourne, the place she made her debut in 2016.
She took day out from tennis for her personal wellbeing after first-round exits on the French Open and U.S. Open in 2022. She’s not planning any extra breaks for now.
“Yeah, I think I just have to keep living day by day and training hard and playing a lot more matches,” she stated. “And hopefully my dreams will come true.”
The big-serving Garcia didn’t give Osaka a have a look at a break level within the match. Most of the rallies have been quick — solely three longer than 9 photographs. The bulk have been lower than 4. Most of the service holds have been comfy — apart from Osaka’s one dropped recreation within the first set. That was all of the distinction.
“I have a lot of respect for Naomi as a person and as a player — 15 months she’s been away,” Garcia stated. “I’m very glad to see her back. Six months after giving birth, she’s playing quite amazing already. We have to watch out.”
Osaka was considered one of three previous Australian Open champions who returned to play at Melbourne Park for the primary time as mothers, becoming a member of 2016 winner Angelique Kerber and 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki.
The Australian Open began Sunday and can be performed over 15 days for the primary time, with the primary spherical unfold over three days in a bid to chop down on the late-finishing matches.
Still, it was 1:39 a.m. native time by the point Felix Auger-Aliassime closed out a 4-hour, 59-minute win over 2020 U.S. Open winner Dominic Thiem that completed 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 5-7, 6-3. That match was briefly held up within the fourth set by a chicken touchdown on the court docket at Margaret Court Arena and having to be chased off by a ball child to laughter from the gang. It then flew across the stadium briefly earlier than play might proceed.
For Auger-Aliassime, the win ended a run of first-round exits at three consecutive majors.
In the opening match on Rod Laver, U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff wanted simply 60 minutes to advance 6-3, 6-0 over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
The 19-year-old Gauff, who gained her first main on the U.S. Open in September, stated she had elevated confidence in her serve due to some recommendation from Andy Roddick.
Fourth-seeded Gauff dropped only one level on her serve within the second set and credited Roddick, saying “he’s probably one of the best servers in history.”
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova didn’t make it previous the primary spherical, dropping 6-1, 6-2 to Dayana Yastremska and fighting a hip damage.
A 3rd 16-year-old reached the second spherical, with Mirra Andreeva beating 29-year-old Bernarda Pera 7-5, 6-2 to arrange a second-round match with sixth-seeded Ons Jabeur, a three-time runner-up at Grand Slams.
