Naomi Osaka Rollercoaster Win: French Open First Round

Naomi Osaka, a four-time major winner, described her first-round victory over Lucia Bronzetti at the French Open as “like a rollercoaster”. Osaka won the match with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, marking her first victory at Roland Garros in three years. Despite Osaka’s 4-0 lead in the third set, Bronzetti’s late challenge intensified the match. Osaka’s win holds weight, being only her second major appearance post-maternity leave in January. Naomi Osaka expressed her thoughts on the match, saying, “It really was like a rollercoaster”. She admitted being preoccupied with her Australian Open loss, eager to secure a victory at the French Open.

However, she acknowledged that this train of thought was not helpful. Osaka’s victory sets up a likely second-round meeting with defending champion Iga Swiatek, who is the current world number one. Osaka mentioned that it would be a “big honor” to play against Swiatek, as she watched her play a lot when she was pregnant. Osaka sees this match as a test to see where she is at but she does not have low expectations of herself and believes she thrives in underdog situations. It is worth noting that Osaka is currently ranked 134th in the world and has never advanced past the last 32 at the French Open.

Her four Grand Slam triumphs have all come on hard courts. However, she mentioned that she is embracing clay more and is making progress on the surface. In summary, Naomi Osaka described her first-round victory at the French Open as a rollercoaster and expressed her thoughts on the match. She is looking forward to her potential second-round match against Iga Swiatek and sees it as a test of her abilities. Osaka is making progress on clay, a surface she previously struggled on.