Naomi Osaka overcame a challenging match against Italian Lucia Bronzetti to advance to the second round of the 2024 French Open with a 6-1 4-6 7-5 victory, despite committing 45 unforced errors.
This victory marks Osaka’s first win at Roland Garros since 2021, a year marked by controversy and her subsequent withdrawal due to refusing media obligations. She lost in the first round in 2022 and missed the 2023 tournament due to pregnancy.
Sporting her new mismatched dragon and flowers Nike tennis shoes, the young mom swiftly claimed the first set against world No.67 Bronzetti on Sunday. However, Bronzetti broke late in the second set, leveling the match at one set apiece.
In the deciding set, Osaka had a chance to break for a 5-0 lead but started to crumble, allowing Bronzetti to fight back and take a 5-4 lead. With the match hanging in the balance at 5-5, Osaka managed to break Bronzetti’s serve and hold her own, securing her place in the second round.
The 26-year-old Osaka could next face fellow four-time Grand Slam champion and top seed Iga Swiatek, the two-time defending French Open champion, who will play French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean in her first-round match on Monday.
