PARIS - Japan's four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka reached the third round of the French Open for the first time in seven years after battling past Donna Vekic of Croatia 7-6(1), 6-4 on Thursday.
Former world No. 1 Osaka recovered from a break down twice in the first set before cruising in the tiebreak at Roland Garros. She then won a crucial break with a forehand to the corner to go 5-4 up in the second before serving out to beat the Paris Olympics silver medalist.
The winner of the 2018 and 2020 U.S. Opens as well as the 2019 and 2021 Australian Opens, Osaka gave birth to her daughter in July 2023 before returning to the court, reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open last year.
"I've definitely tried to focus a lot on my physical fitness, but that's also something that I've grown into since coming back from pregnancy," Osaka, currently 16th in the world, said after beating her 72nd-ranked opponent.
"I've told everyone that when I came back, I didn't feel like I was in my body, and over the course of three years now, I'm feeling more and more like I'm me."
Osaka has never progressed past the third round in Paris, having reached that stage in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
"(On) clay you obviously expect the point to be longer," she said. "I like the movement on it (clay), especially on my forehand side. I feel like since my balls are a little bit heavier there, it kinds of pushes the opponent back and it doesn't necessarily happen on hard court."
"Hopefully I'm not going to play someone that may or may not drop-shot me again because I'm realizing that's a trend on clay court."
Osaka, who beat 42nd-ranked Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-3, 7-6(3) in the first round on Tuesday, faces 17th-ranked Iva Jovic of the United States in the third round.
