This Monday (15), Naomi Osaka returned to gram slam tennis, but got defeated in the first round of the Australian Open against Caroline Garcia.
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Osaka was competing in her first grand slam tournament in more than a year, but she fell to Garcia 6-4 7-6(7-2). The Japanese fought hard in a tight match against 16th seed Garcia on Rod Laver Arena, but was down in the first set when the Frenchwoman broke her serve at 2-2 – the only break of the match.
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A close second set was decided in a tie-break, during which Garcia pulled away and ended the match when Osaka’s crosscourt backhand hit the net. The two-time champion in Melbourne took 15 months away from tennis to take care of her mental health before becoming a mother for the first time in July 2023.
Before the Australian Open, Osaka marked her return to tennis with a win over Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch. She then lost to Czech star Karolína Plíšková in three sets in the second round.
