"I'm honestly really excited": Naomi Osaka steps into second round of French Open with eyes on Iga Swiatek
WTA
Naomi Osaka
is looking forward to the possibility of facing Iga Swiatek after advancing to
the second round of the French Open. The Japanese player debuted with a victory
in a tough battle against Italian Lucia Bronzetti (No. 48), winning 6-1, 4-6,
7-5.
She could
play against the world No. 1 next, though the Polish player must first secure
her spot by winning her debut against local favorite Leolia Jeanjean (No. 148).
Osaka set for possible clash with Swiatek
The
26-year-old Osaka mentioned that she would be honored to face Swiatek,
especially at Roland Garros, where the Polish player has won three titles.
Despite usually struggling on clay, Osaka has shown promise by reaching the
Round of 16 at the Rome Open, with two consecutive victories over top-20
players.
Both Osaka
and Swiatek have four Grand Slam titles each, but their current situations are
very different. Osaka recently returned to the Tour after welcoming her first
child and is currently ranked world No. 134 with a 13-9 record in 2024.
In
contrast, Swiatek has surpassed 100 weeks as world No. 1 and arrives at Roland
Garros as a strong favorite, having won back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Madrid
and Rome. Swiatek has the chance to become the fourth player in the Open Era to
win the French Open at least four times, joining Justine Henin (4) and trailing
only Steffi Graf (6) and Chris Evert (7).
"I'm
honestly really excited," said Osaka about the chance of playing Swiatek
in the second round. "I watched her a lot when I was pregnant. And
honestly, I think it's an honor to play her in the French Open because she's
won more than once here. It's a very big honor and challenge for me."
Osaka and Swiatek played for the last time in the final of the 2022 Miami Open, with the Pole winning the title 6-4, 6-0.
However,
Osaka is not intimidated by Swiatek's strong favoritism in the tournament. The
former world No. 1 refused to suggest that she expected to lose against Swiatek
in a potential second-round match: "I definitely do feel like it's a test
to see where I'm at, but I wouldn't say I have low expectations of
myself," she said.
"I'm a
person that kind of thinks that I can win every match that I play. That's kind
of gotten me this far. I would never play a match thinking lowly of
myself," she added. "I think I was paying too much attention to the
score," she said. "Because when I saw it was 6-1, I felt a lot of
relaxation, and then obviously I didn't play well after that," she concluded.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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