Naomi Osaka admits knowing she was about to face a top-10 player for the first time this season left her feeling “something drastically different was going to happen” but now remains optimistic that the match versus Zheng Qinwen will help her going forward.
On Monday, former world No. 1 Osaka met a top-10 player for the first time since launching her post-pregnancy comeback at the start of this season. Playing against world No. 7 and 2024 Australian Open runner-up Zheng, Osaka made a very slow start before the Chinese went on to complete a routine 6-2 6-4 win in the Rome round-of-16.
Before meeting Zheng, the last time Osaka faced off against a top-10 player came in 2022 August when she played Coco Gauff in San Jose.
Just two days before meeting Zheng, Osaka ousted world No. 11 Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-3. On paper, the difference between the seventh and 11th position isn’t something astonishingly big. But just knowing that it was her first meeting versus a top-10 player in nearly two years had a mental impact on Osaka.
“Yeah, I think it’s been a while since I played a top-10 player. I don’t know. I just felt like something drastically different is going to happen. I wasn’t as experienced,” Osaka said.
“I’m pretty I guess happy that I was able to play this…
