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Naomi Osaka won her opening round match in French Open in 3 sets, pic:x

Xtra Time Web Desk: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka marked her return to major tournaments with a hard-fought victory at Roland Garros. The former World No. 1 defeated World No. 67 Lucia Bronzetti in the women's singles first round, overcoming a mid-match wobble to secure a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win in 2 hours and 1 minute on the iconic Philippe Chatrier court on Sunday, May 26.

Osaka's return to the Grand Slam stage comes after a 15-month maternity break. Earlier this year, she faced a first-round exit at the Australian Open against Caroline Garcia. Despite this setback, Osaka showed marked improvement on clay, traditionally her weakest surface, with a promising run-up to the French Open. Although she exited early in Madrid, she made it to the pre-quarterfinals in Rome in May. Osaka revealed her issues with depression and anxiety when she withdrew from the French Open in 2021. She later took extended breaks from the game to protect her mental health. Her latest time away “really raised my love for the sport and it made me realize I'm not going to play forever. I have to embrace the times.

In her match against Bronzetti, Osaka displayed a mix of dominance and vulnerability. She breezed through the first set but struggled in the second. In the final set, Osaka took a commanding 4-0 lead, only to lose momentum and face a tight contest before finally clinching the match.

Next, Osaka will face the winner of the first-round match between World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.

Osaka has expressed a strong desire to improve her performance on clay and aims for a deep run at Roland Garros, where she has yet to progress past the third round.

Marie Bouzkova Upsets 29th Seed Veronika Kudermetova

In other matches, Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic secured the first victory of the opening round by defeating 29th seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-4. Kudermetova's early exit marks her third consecutive first-round loss on clay this season.

Mixed Fortunes for Men's Seeds: Rublev Advances, Humbert Falls

In the men's singles, 17th seed Ugo Humbert became the first seeded player to exit, losing to Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a 2-hour and 49-minute battle. This loss comes despite Humbert's strong performance at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he reached the quarterfinals and defeated Sonego.

Meanwhile, 6th seed Andrey Rublev overcame a tough challenge from Japan's Taro Daniel. Rublev, who won the Madrid Masters, needed 3 hours and 11 minutes to secure his second-round spot, defeating Daniel 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5.