Caroline Garcia halts two-time champ Naomi Osaka’s comeback in Australian Open first round

In her first Grand Slam match after returning from maternity leave, former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka was outplayed in the first round of the Australian Open as she fell to Caroline Garcia in straight sets on Monday.

It was a result that won’t surprise many tennis fans or pundits—none of our Tennis.com Expert Picks chose Osaka as a dark horse, for example—but one that most had hoped would be delayed by a few rounds. And it’s one that Osaka herself would probably be disappointed in, too: having given birth to Shai in July, the two-time champion opened up about maximizing the precious time away from her daughter while in Melbourne.

But luck of the draw wasn’t on Osaka’s side this time, as she took on the No. 16 seed in the opening round. That sentiment was echoed by her opponent, as well.

“I felt a bit unlucky, to be honest,” Garcia said of seeing Osaka in her draw. “But you do know that in the first rounds—there were so many players coming back, so you know there’s a chance that you’re going to play someone tough.

“But you play tennis for these kinds of matches… I was pretty excited for it. I know that it would be a memory that I would have for many years, and I wanted to enjoy it.”

Osaka showed fans plenty of the big hitting and powerful serving that fans are used to seeing from her, but signs of rust became evident as the match unfolded on Rod Laver Arena.

A rock-solid serving performance from Garcia kept Osaka on the backfoot for much of the two-set encounter, their second career meeting at the Australian Open. In their 2021 clash, Osaka was the seed dealing a lopsided victory to a struggling Garcia—three years on, the 30-year-old turned the tables by winning 89% of first serve points, and she didn’t face a single break point as on her way to a 6-4, 7-6 (2) victory.

"It was a great atmosphere out there," Garcia said. "Kind of my first late-night session. It definitely feels different. Playing Naomi in these courts, it's always very special... It will be a match I will remember."

No. 16 seed Garcia moved into the second round, where she will face Magdalena Frech after the Polish woman defeated wildcard Daria Saville 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-5 over three hours and 13 minutes.

But for Osaka, it will be back to the practice courts to continue honing her world-beating game after a necessary reality check. The four-time Grand Slam champion looked fearsome in some stretches against Garcia, but gave up too many unforced errors—25 compared to her 20 winners—especially from her backhand, and her movement around the court helped her opponent tee up for putaway winners.

There may be much to work on, but Osaka acquitted herself well in her first Grand Slam tournament since the 2022 US Open. In a sign of her commitment to going all-in on her comeback, Osaka confirmed that she will be back in action in Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston—and if her level continues to improve after Melbourne, she’s well poised to add even more intrigue to a WTA Tour filled with compelling storylines.

"When I was in L.A. training, I was really worried that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with any of the girls that I played in my matches," Osaka told press. "Coming here and I guess playing three tough matches, I feel positive that I'm able to play—I'm at least able to challenge them...

"I think I just have to keep living day by day and training hard and playing a lot more matches, and hopefully my dreams will come true."