Naomi Osaka marked her return to the Italian Open with a straight-sets victory over France’s Clara Burel in the first round, in her first appearance at the tournament since 2021.
The former world number one clinched the win with a scoreline of 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 against Burel, who currently holds the 45th spot in the world rankings.
This victory holds significance for Osaka, as it marks her first win against a top-50 opponent on clay since defeating Victoria Azarenka at the French Open in 2019.
Osaka, aged 26, who welcomed her first daughter last year, is set to face 19th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the second round on Thursday.
In the men’s competition, Britain’s Dan Evans was unable to compete in his first-round match against Italy’s Fabio Fognini due to inclement weather in Rome.
Despite her current world ranking of 173, Osaka displayed her prowess on the court, concluding the 84-minute match with 27 winners, including eight aces.
Reflecting on her performance, Osaka remarked, “I obviously played a lot better in the second set. I’m hoping that when I play my match tomorrow, I’m able to learn from the mistakes that I did today and apply them better.”
