Naomi Osaka earned a hard-fought win on the opening day of the French Open and as a reward she will very likely get a crack at world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
On Sunday, former world No. 1 Osaka took on 67th-ranked Lucia Bronzetti and earned a 6-1 4-6 7-5 win in just over two hours of play.
When Osaka took to the court on Sunday, she was playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2022 and by defeating Bronzetti, she also got her first French Open win since 2021.
Now, Osaka is likely set for one of the most difficult tasks in women’s tennis – and that’s playing three-time French Open champion Swiatek at Roland Garros – if the Pole beats qualifier world No. 148 Leolia Jeanjean, her next opponent will be the Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion.
After beating Bronzetti, Osaka admitted she would really like to face Swiatek next because she considers facing the Pole at Roland Garros as “an honor.”
Since starting her post-pregnancy comeback, Osaka has said several times that her goal is to return to being one of the best in the world and win Grand Slams again. When she meets Swiatek at Roland Garros, it will be a perfect opportunity for Osaka to make a major statement.
