BRISBANE-. The first contest of Naomi Osaka since becoming a mother concluded Wednesday with a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 loss to Karolina Pliskova, three-time champion of the Brisbane tournament.
Osaka, who holds a pair of Australian Open titles and two more at the US Open, took her first victory in an elite competition since 2022 on Monday, when she defeated Tamara Korpatsch in straight sets.
After that victory, he announced that his daughter Shai had been born in July. She stated that her mentality has changed since she became a mother, which would have given her a better perspective on tennis.
A second-round match between two top-ranked tennis players accelerated the return and provided a clearer indication of how Osaka’s preparations are going for the Australian Open, which begins on January 14 in Melbourne.
“The week has definitely been shorter than I would have liked,” Osaka acknowledged at a press conference. “Overall, I think it was a great game. I had a lot of Fun. I have trained very hard since giving birth. “I need to enjoy these moments.”
Osaka won the first set but Pliskova recovered and fired 16 aces, as well as 50 winners. She saved 10 of 12 break points and emerged victorious despite her 11 double faults.
In another match, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, defending Australian Open champion, defeated Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-0.
Source: AP
