For the first time in three years, the world of tennis will see Naomi Osaka in the third round of the Grand Slam.
Australia’s two-time Open Champion advanced to the third round of the tournament on Wednesday, beating No. 20 seed Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. The victory was also a comeback for the pair’s meeting at the 2024 US Open, with Muchová winning 6-3, 7-6.
Osaka will face former top five player Belinda Bensik in the third round.
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Another victory is Osaka’s first appearance in the fourth round of the Grand Slam since his victory at the Australian Open in 2021. It was the year when Osaka took a break from tennis after an open controversy in France.
Osaka took another break that year after a rough exit from the US opening and then struggled even further in 2022. She left tennis in 2023 to give birth to her daughter and struggled to return when she returned last year.
This year, the obstacles in Melbourne’s Osaka continued. She broke up with the father of her daughter, rapper Coday, last week. She pulled out of her last tuning-up tournament, the Oakland Open, after abdominal issues became apparent last week, and is currently facing the prospect of losing her home to a Los Angeles wildfire.
After beating Caroline Garcia in the first round, she said she had to send someone to get her daughter’s birth certificate via ESPN.
“To be honest, I don’t think I’m in the biggest focus, but I obviously won, so I think it’s an acceptable job,” Osaka said of splitting her ideas between Los Angeles and the tournament she competes in. “It’s really difficult for me… I think my house is more home now because I have memories of my house with my daughter.
Nevertheless, Osaka has taken a step forward that has been waiting for years.
