Naomi Osaka hits a forehand against Caroline Garcia in their first-round match at the Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka’s return to grand slam tennis ended in a first-round defeat against Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open.
Osaka, a two-time champion in Melbourne, was competing in her first grand slam tournament in more than a year when she fell to Garcia 6-4 7-6(7-2) on Monday.
The Japanese star took 15 months away from tennis to prioritize her mental health before becoming a mother for the first time in July.
She battled hard in a tight match against the 16th-seeded Garcia on Rod Laver Arena but trailed in the first set when the Frenchwoman secured a break of serve at 2-2 – the only break of the match.
A close second set was decided by a tie-break, during which Garcia pulled clear and wrapped up the contest when Osaka’s cross-court backhand struck the net.
Prior to the Australian Open, Osaka marked her return to tennis with a victory against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch. She then lost to Czech star Karolína Plíšková in three sets in the second round.