“I have a lot of respect for all the players on tour, but the point of my life that I’m at right now if I’m not above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself playing for a while,” said Naomi Osaka’s ahead of the 2025 Australian Open. After winning her 4th Grand Slam title at the 2021 Australian Open, it has been a steep downfall for the Japanese star, having never made it beyond the third round at Grand Slam since. However, the 2025 season is set to be a make-or-break season for her, and Naomi Osaka would look to begin her campaign Down Under on a positive note.

It won’t be a cakewalk for Osaka as she is set for a tough challenge first up. Osaka will face seasoned player, Caroline Garcia of France, who is looking for joy as she enters the latter stages of her career. It promises to be a thrilling encounter between Osaka and Garcia in Melbourne tomorrow.

Naomi Osaka vs. Caroline Garcia: Preview

Osaka is a seasoned hard-court player, having won all four Grand Slam titles on this surface. Further, she also has won two titles here before and has the experience of performing big on this stage. Starting off her season at the ASB Classic earlier this year, Osaka reached the final before retiring mid-match in the summit clash due to an abdominal injury. The Japanese star dominated the tournament and even won the first set of the final before calling it quits. Osaka enters the Australian Open as an unseeded player and she faces a mammoth task first up against a player of Garcia’s stature. As a result, she would have to be at her best if she had to progress in the tournament.

On the other hand, Garcia has had a disappointing 2024 campaign by her standards. She failed to reach the summit clash of the tournaments last year, let alone winning a title. A couple of semifinal appearances were the best that she could achieve in 2024. At 31, Garcia doesn’t have many years left on the WTA Tour and she would look to make the most of her playing time when she begins her Australian Open campaign against Osaka tomorrow.

Osaka vs. Garcia: Head-to-head

Both Osaka and Garcia aren’t unfamiliar with each other’s games, having played against each other several times before. The two have met each other four times on the WTA Tour, with Osaka and Garcia winning two matches apiece. Interestingly, they clashed at the Australian Open last year as well, with Garcia getting the better of Osaka that time around.

However, Osaka took the revenge in Qatar in the following month, defeating Garcia in straight sets. Their latest encounter was at the Miami Open, which was won by Garcia 7-6 (4), 7-5. Given their head-to-head record, it could be anyone’s game when the two face each other in Melbourne.

Prediction: Osaka to win a tough battle

Given their inconsistent performances last year, both Osaka and Garcia have dropped out of the top 50 of the WTA rankings. While Osaka is placed on the 51st spot, Garcia has taken the 67th position in the latest WTA rankings. Similarly, both Garcia and Osaka failed to win any tournaments last year and didn’t even make it to the finals.

However, Osaka has had a better run-up to the Australian Open, having warmed up in style for the Australian Open. She put on a dominant display in Auckland, and her return game showed glimpses of its best. She won more than 34% of the return points during her semifinal win over Alycia Parks at the ASB Classic.

Owing to this, Osaka has a slightly upper hand against Garcia and is predicted to win the match in three sets. Do you think that Osaka can make it to the business end of the 2025 Australian Open? Let us know your views in the comments below.