Barely two weeks into the 2025 season, Naomi Osaka has accomplished what she couldn’t in 2024.
MORE: All the scores from Day 4 at AO 2025
The two-time Australian Open champion jumped in delight and placed her hand on her heart after securing a berth in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since giving birth in July 2023, the world No. 51 battling for almost two hours to earn a 1-6 6-1 6-3 win over 20th seed Karolina Muchova on Wednesday.
Reaching the round of 32 at a major is on Osaka’s list of goals this year, and the 27-year-old was visibly relieved to have unlocked that achievement after failing to clear the second round at any of the four majors last year.
“It took everything” to overcome the talented Czech, said an emotional Osaka, noting that after the dizzyingly one-sided first set, she forced herself to throw caution to the wind and go for her shots.
“I felt like I left everything I had on the court,” she said.
“It means a lot, she’s an incredibly difficult opponent for me to play,” added the Japanese star, who converted just four of 17 break point opportunities.
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Self-belief is one tool that helped avenge a straight-sets loss to Muchova at last year’s US Open, Osaka said.
The powerful right-hander, like top seed Aryna Sabalenka, is prioritising accuracy on serve rather than simply firing bombs, and said she plays her best tennis when tested.
“I play better and better opponents as the rounds go on, I think it’s more interesting because I feel like it’s like the clash of two titans almost,” she mused.
Preparing for the year’s first major in Auckland, where she navigated a three-set win over Hailey Baptiste, helped build match toughness. If Osaka has her way, that’ll prolong her stay in Melbourne.
“I just hope that I can continue playing here because it is one of my favourite tournaments,” said the AO 2019 and 2021 champion, who is striving to get both stronger and faster even after raising her fitness level to the highest it’s been since her comeback.
The four-time major winner’s next opponent is Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who is competing in her first Grand Slam since giving birth last year. Bencic advanced with a straight-sets dismissal of Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens, 6-1 7-6(3).
MORE: AO 2025 women’s singles draw
“I think it’s going to be fun,” said Osaka, who said earlier this week that she enjoys making her way through difficult draws. “You can prove that you’re the best of the best.”
In other Day 4 action, seventh seed Jessica Pegula snapped her losing streak against AO 2018 semifinalist Elise Mertens with a 6-4 6-2 victory at Margaret Court Arena.
The American struck 24 winners to secure her first win over the Belgian in four attempts and said she was pleased with her level, describing her execution on Wednesday as “strategically perfect.”
In the round of 32, Pegula faces Olga Danilovic, who scored a 6-1 6-2 upset over 25th seed Liudmila Samsonova
Elsewhere, 14th seed Mirra Andreeva survived a scare against Moyuka Uchijima, who served for the match at 5-4 in the third before the 17-year-old ultimately triumphed 6-4 3-6 7-6 [10-8].
The right-handed wunderkind, seeded in the top 16 for the first time in her young career, takes on 23rd seed Magdalena Frech in the third round following the Pole’s rollercoaster 0-6 6-0 6-2 victory over Anna Blinkova.
Late on Wednesday night, Spain’s Paula Badosa needed just 48 minutes to set up a third-round meeting with 17th seed Marta Kostyuk, the 11th seed outclassing Australian wildcard Talia Gibson 6-1 6-0 at Margaret Court Arena.
Earlier, AO 2024 quarterfinalist Kostyuk was in a similarly dominant mood against German Jule Neimeier on Court 5, winning 6-3 6-0 in one hour, four minutes.
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