Naomi Osaka is seemingly back on track after enduring a tough comeback journey on the tour. A little later after adding a fourth Slam to her impressive resume, the Japanese star went on a pregnancy hiatus and when she returned, things weren’t the same. An improved lot of fresh competitors were ready to wipe her out but, she remained strong and decided to introduce a healthy change to her coaching camp. Despite initial uncertainty about her new partnership, Osaka eventually settled in.

The Japanese star parted ways with ex-coach Wim Fissette and found a strong replacement by adding Serena Williams‘ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou to her team in September 2024. The pair marked their first joint appearance at the China Open, where, despite her valiant efforts to come atop, her journey came to an end in the Round of 16 when she was forced to retire due to an injury. Poised to get back on her feet, Osaka showcased her improved skillset at the ASB Classic in Auckland and finished runner-up at the WTA 250 event.

Having landed in Melbourne for the Australian Open, the former World No. 1 yet again proved naysayers wrong after winning her opening-round clash against Caroline Garcia. For her second-round showcase, Osaka stunned the crowd after registering a thrilling comeback victory against her US Open second round slayer, Karolina Muchova. She later sat down for a post-match presser and reiterated how things seemed too difficult with her coach in the beginning.

Despite acknowledging the initial hurdles, the Japanese confirmed that their alliance started blooming with time and she found a funny partner in the Frenchman. “Yeah, it’s funny. I’ve told people this like in the very beginning um I was a little wary of him just because his persona is like very I didn’t know if I would get along with him. Yeah I said that out loud whatever. But he’s actually really funny, like very hilarious, and I didn’t expect that from him because I thought he was so straight-laced, but he’s very funny.”

That wasn’t all. She also remarked upon her performance against the Czech star at the Show Court Arena.

Naomi Osaka says she gained a “little revenge” over Karolina Muchova

Muchova dominated the first set, swiftly claiming it in under 30 minutes. However, Osaka responded with a strong second set, securing two crucial breaks of serve before closing it out with a dominant service game. The momentum carried into the deciding set, where Osaka continued to assert her dominance.

She finished the match with a more aggressive approach, striking 33 winners compared to Muchova’s 27, while also minimizing her unforced errors (27 to Muchova’s 29). This victory marks Osaka’s first Grand Slam third round appearance since becoming a mother in 2023.

In an on-court interview later, the 27-year-old said: “She crushed me at the US Open when I had my best outfit ever. I was so mad. This was my little revenge. It’s not a bad thing, guys – revenge is competitive. She’s one of the toughest opponents out there.” She then spoke about her comeback thriller saying, “Honestly, it took everything. I felt like I left everything I had on the court. Just to be back on these courts… it makes my whole year.”

Next up, Naomi Osaka will face Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in a third-round ‘Clash of Moms’, as Forbes puts it, at AO on Friday. Bencic, who welcomed her daughter last year, is making her first Grand Slam appearance since becoming a mother.