Osaka off to winning start in Paris

Naomi Osaka said she would be “honoured” to take on Iga Swiatek in the French Open second round after setting up a likely meeting with the world No 1 by battling past Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti on Sunday. Osaka, who took a 16-month hiatus from tennis in September 2022 to start a family, was inconsistent in […]

Naomi Osaka said she would be “honoured” to take on Iga Swiatek in the French Open second round after setting up a likely meeting with the world No 1 by battling past Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti on Sunday.

Osaka, who took a 16-month hiatus from tennis in September 2022 to start a family, was inconsistent in the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier of the tournament but secured a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 opening-round win.

She will next face her fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek if the Pole sees off French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean on Monday.

The pair have only played each other twice before, with their last meeting a Swiatek victory in the 2022 Miami Open final.

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“I’m honestly really excited,” said Osaka, who last made the second round at Roland Garros in 2021.

“I watched her a lot when I was pregnant. And honestly, I think it’s an honour to play her in the French Open, because she’s won more than once here. It’s a very big honour and challenge for me.”

Sunday was Osaka’s first match win at a Grand Slam event since the 2022 Australian Open, after losing in the French Open and US Open opening rounds that year and at Melbourne Park earlier this season.

The Japanese star has never reached the second week at Roland Garros, with all of her major titles coming on the hard courts of Melbourne and New York.