Melbourne, January 15: Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka staged an impressive comeback to defeat 20th seed Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the second round on Wednesday. After a thrilling opening-round victory over Caroline Garcia, Osaka overcame a sluggish start to topple last year's US Open semifinalist, advancing to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since her return from maternity leave.
"It means a lot," Osaka said on court, as per the official website of WTA.
"She's an incredibly difficult opponent for me to play. She crushed me at the US Open when I had my best outfit ever. I was so disappointed. I was so mad," she added.
"I'm glad I got my revenge. It's not a bad thing, revenge is competitive. She's one of the toughest opponents out there," she said.
Osaka began her 2025 WTA season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she reached her first tournament final since Miami 2022. Reflecting on her journey, she emphasized the importance of understanding her game better to produce consistent results in major tournaments. So far, her performance in Melbourne is living up to her determination.
"I've said this for years," Osaka said in Auckland, as quoted from the official website of WTA.
"I'm not the most talented player but I feel like I work the hardest and that gives me a lot of confidence. But when you into a fistfight with another person, in the end, it's who wants it more," she noted.
"Last year it was really difficult for me to get that mindset and you could see that in a lot of my matches. I think the tennis was there throughout the whole entire year, but it was more of a mindset thing. I think now, here, I think I'm ready for the battle," she added.
After edging out Garcia in a three-set battle, Osaka avenged two losses against the French player from last year, including a first-round exit at the Australian Open. Her second-round opponent, Muchova, who eliminated Osaka at the US Open in 2024, seemed poised to repeat history when she dominated the first set.
"If you were to say 'turning the page', I would probably say that was in Auckland because I played really tough matches there in really tough conditions," Osaka said, as per quoted from the official website of WTA.
"I felt like even though the tennis wasn't necessarily the cleanest, I think it was like the mental side that got me through into the final. I was really happy about that. I think it continued on to this match because I don't feel like I played the cleanest tonight either," she said.
"Mentally I just really wanted to win a lot," she added.
The Czech outclassed Osaka early on, dictating play with precise shot-making and racing to a 5-0 lead.
However, Osaka showed resilience. By the end, she had flipped the script, finishing with 33 winners to 27 unforced errors, while Muchova tallied 27 winners and 29 unforced errors.
"After the first set, I just told myself, fight for every point," Osaka noted.
"If she beats me 6-1, 6-1, then she's the greatest player ever," she said.
In the third round, Osaka will face Belinda Bencic, who is making her own return after giving birth to her daughter, Bella. Bencic has historically been a challenging opponent for Osaka, holding a 3-2 record in their head-to-head encounters but Osaka has demonstrated a newfound focus and determination this season, and she'll be ready to face yet another familiar adversary in her quest for Australian Open glory.
"I think it's going to be a fun match," Bencic said after her 6-1, 7-6(3) win over Suzan Lamens, as per quoted from the official website of WTA.
"I think she beat me last time, but I have a good record against her. But it doesn't really mean anything anymore. I feel good to play her. I think it's going to be a nice match. Hopefully on a big court," she said.
"Really enjoying. to be in the third round and to have an opportunity like this," she added.
