Naomi Osaka’s Dream Australian Open Return Hurdled by Former Foe As She Goes Through an Uphill Round 1 Task

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka will face off against Caroline Garcia in the first round of the upcoming Australian Open. Osaka returned to professional tennis with this season’s Brisbane International. However, she had to exit the tournament after Karolina Pliskova outperformed her in the second round. Now, following another major opponent in the opening round of the Australian Open tournament, Osaka fans are anxious about her consistency.

Returning to the court, Osaka made a great comeback taking over Tamara Korpatsch in the first round of the Brisbane International. However, her exit concerns fans about her performance status.

Naomi Osaka’s upcoming Australian Open journey makes fans anxious as she will face Caroline Garcia in the first round

Recently the official Twitter page of the Women’s Tennis Association revealed that Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka will face off against her old rival Caroline Garcia at the first round of the tournament. Sharing the information, this official page tweeted- “Round 1, #AusOpen 2024 Naomi Osaka vs. [16] Caroline Garcia.” 

Naomi Osaka gave birth to her daughter Shai with partner Cordae last year in July. This motherhood journey forced Osaka to stay off the court for almost a year. However, Osaka’s upcoming bout with Garcia is going to be interesting because she previously faced off against Garcia at the 2021 Australian Open. The Japanese tennis star defeated Garcia by 6-2, 6-3 to bag the ticket to the second round.

Returning after an extended break, it will not be easy for Naomi Osaka to dominate opponents like Garcia. Fans have been anxious about Osaka’s chances, and as it turns out, after her match against Garcia in 2021, she revealed how tensed she had been.

Read more: “Body-Shocked”: Naomi Osaka Explains the Physical Challenges Playing at Australian Open 2021

Osaka revealed her tensions before facing off against Caroline Garcia in the 2021 Australian Open

Previously while playing against Caroline Garcia, Osaka expressed her anxieties and nervousness. She commented- “It felt great. I haven’t played a night match in a really long time. Luckily it wasn’t too hot and I was happy about it. Just staying focused the entire match. With an opponent like her, you never know what she’ll do and how hard she’ll hit. I was just staying within myself.”

Naomi Osaka’s match against Carolie Garcia in the first round of the Australian Open will be truly exciting for the fans. While there is tension, Naomi Osaka can still prove everyone wrong by making a great comeback.

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