Naomi Osaka Admits She Had ‘Pretty Nervous’ Moments During 2024 French Open R1 Win
Jack MurrayMay 26, 2024
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Naomi Osaka had some nerves during her first-round victory at the 2024 French Open on Sunday.
Osaka knocked off Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 to secure her first Grand Slam match victory since 2022. Following the three-set affair, she acknowledged that she had moments where she was “pretty nervous and got really tight.”
“I was kind of, in my head, thinking I didn’t win a match in Australia, so I’d really love to win one here,” she said. “Obviously that was wasn’t a good train of thought. … I kind of focused on it a bit too much instead of trying to play point by point, and I think towards the end I was able to erase that thought from my head.”
The win sets the table for Osaka to take on world No. 1 Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek in the second round, a challenge which Osaka said she is looking forward to.
“Taking it as an experience and kind of knowing that I feel like I’m the underdog, and I think I thrive in those situations,” Osaka said. “So if I do play her, I’d be really excited to.”
Osaka is currently ranked No. 134 in the world, but her win at Roland-Garros should help her climb back up the rankings. It is her first Grand Slam victory since giving birth to her daughter Shai last July, and her past success and strong performance in Round 1 means that she could be a difficult hurdle for ÅšwiÄ…tek to clear early in the tournament.
ÅšwiÄ…tek first has to defeat Leolia Jeanjean in her first-round matchup before potentially facing Osaka in a quest to secure her third consecutive and fourth overall French Open title.
