Mum Osaka ‘super disappointed’ with early exit

On Wednesday, she expressed disappointment but acknowledged her return to tennis as a "personal victory," despite being defeated by reigning champion Karolina Pliskova. In a turnaround from losing the initial set, Pliskova, victor of the 2020 tournament, outlasted the Japanese star 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in the second round. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, had not competed in a tournament since September 2022 due to mental health problems, and had a child in July.

"Despite today's disappointment, I am confident that if I continue to train and put in the effort, I will eventually reach my goals," Osaka stated. She noted, "It was challenging given [Pliskova's] impressive serve—I could have improved my break points, but overall, we both performed strongly. Just being able to participate is a personal triumph for me, as a few weeks ago I was expressing doubts about being able to compete with everyone. So, these two matches have reassured me that I am on the right track, and things will only improve for me in this year," she added.

In other results, World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka trounced Italy's Lucia Bronzetti with a 6-3, 6-0 victory on Pat Rafter Arena, while second seed Elena Rybakina overpowered Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki 6-4, 6-1.