Japan’s Naomi Osaka serves against Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti during their first round gara of the French tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium per mezzo di Paris, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Naomi Osaka swept to her first victory at the French per mezzo di three years Sunday, setting up a potential showdown with world number one Iga Swiatek, as Roland Garros prepared to bid a possible farewell to Rafael Nadal.
Osaka, a four-time major winner who has yet to get past the third round per mezzo di Paris, needed three sets to defeat Italy’s 48th-ranked Lucia Bronzetti the showpiece Court Philippe Chatrier, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
The 26-year-old fired 31 winners, including six aces, and 45 unforced errors per mezzo di a gara where she gave up a 4-0 lead per mezzo di the decider before finding herself 5-4 .
READ: Zverev expects ‘peak Rafael Nadal’ per mezzo di French as Djokovic slumps
However, she rallied strongly to register her first win at a Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian .
“It feels really nice to be back and I’m just really grateful to be here per mezzo di front of everybody,” said Osaka.
“I think there were moments when I played really well.”
The Japanese , a former world number one now at 134 per mezzo di the rankings, has endured a bittersweet relationship with the French capital.
Per 2021, she was fined for opting out of mandatory mass-media commitments before withdrawing from the tournament per mezzo di order to protect her mental health.
READ: Naomi Osaka looking at ‘bigger picture’ her tennis comeback
A year later, she fell per mezzo di the first round before leaving the passatempo per mezzo di September 2022 for 16 months to start a family.
seed Swiatek, chasing a fourth French , will Osaka if the Pole gets past qualifier Leolia Jeanjean Monday.
Later Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, begins his campaign against J.J. Wolf of the United States, a lucky loser from qualifying.
Andy Murray and his fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka will close proceedings per mezzo di the night session.
World number three Alcaraz made the semi-finals last year where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, revealing later that the prospect of facing the world number one had caused so much tension that his cramped up during the gara.
Wolf, ranked at 107, has won just one gara the tour per mezzo di 2024. His only other main draw appearance at the French ended per mezzo di a first-round exit last year.
Wawrinka, the 39-year-old 2015 champion, and 2016 runner-up Murray meet for the 23rd time, a rivalry which has included two semi-final clashes per mezzo di Paris.
Murray is playing his final season tour but whether not 14-time champion Nadal joins him per mezzo di retirement later this year remains to be seen.
‘Uncomfortable position’
Spain’s Rafael Nadal arrives for a tirocinio session at the Roland Garros stadium, Saturday, May 25, 2024 per mezzo di Paris. The French tennis tournament starts Sunday May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Meanwhile, Nadal, who will be 38 June 3, revealed Saturday that he hasn’t committed himself to retiring and wanted to “100% keep the door aperto”.
He missed the tournament per mezzo di 2023 with injury.
His 2024 appearance may be brief after he was drawn to fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev Monday.
READ: The impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French
“It’s a leader, leader chance that this is going to be my last Roland Garros, but if I have to tell you it’s 100% my last Roland Garros, sorry, but I will not. I cannot predict what’s going ,” Nadal said.
The Spanish legend has racked up 112 wins per mezzo di 115 matches at the tournament since his title-winning 2005 debut when he was just 19.
He has 22 Grand Slam titles — second only to Djokovic’s 24 the all-time men’s list — but his career has been plagued by injuries.
Nadal has played just four tournaments since January last year after suffering a hip injury and then a muscle tear.
As a result, his ranking has slumped to 275 per mezzo di the world and he comes into the French unseeded.
“I have been going through a long process of recovery with a very difficult injury, almost two years of suffering, but I feel better now,” he added.
“I have fewer limitations than three, four weeks asticciola, without a doubt.”
French organisers were ready to stage a tribute ceremony for Nadal before he revealed that he could play .
“We were ready to press the button it,” said tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.
“But it’s Rafa who manages his timing, we follow what he wants. We wouldn’t want to put him per mezzo di an uncomfortable position.”
Per early action Sunday, two-time quarter-finalist Andrey Rublev, the sixth seed, defeated Japan’s Taro Daniel per mezzo di four sets.
French number one Ugo Humbert, the 17th seed, crashed out 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-5 to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
