- Osaka returned to WTA tour this year after nearly a year following the birth of her firstborn
- She had no much expectation on her return
- She admitted that her loss in Florida hit her hard and she feels frustrated more than ever
Naomi Osaka losing at the Miami Open 2024 is her biggest shocker this year and she won’t forget it in a while.
Osaka returned to WTA tour this year after nearly a year following the birth of her firstborn. She had no much expectation on her return but hoped that she would play in as many tournaments as she could.
However, she hasn’t performed very well since her return some quarters left feeling that she came back a little too early before regaining her form.
Naomi Osaka Losing at the Miami Open 2024
Currently ranked world No.229, she lost to Caroline Garcia in the third-round of the Miami Open and this shocked her.
She admitted that her loss in Florida hit her hard and she feels frustrated more than ever.
Naomi Osaka. Photo/UPI
“It’s extremely frustrating, and it’s probably going to sit with me for a very, very long time,” Tennis Majors reports.
Osaka was fired up and ready to win again after defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto in straight sets in the first round. She also defeated Elina Svitolina in two sets in the second round of the tournament.
She hoped to progress but Garcia was a formidable opponent and she resigned to fate.
How Did Naomi Osaka Lose to Caroline Garcia?
Osaka played well the entire time, showing flashes of brilliance. However, in the first and second sets, the four-time Grand Slam champion dropped several significant points and squandered some excellent opportunities.
Osaka lost to Garcia 2–6 in the tie-break despite saving three set points prior to the first set going to a tie-break. She did, however, manage to save two more set points before the Frenchwoman won the first set on her fifth try.
The Japanese tennis star admits that she did not play as well as she did with Svitolina which is why she lost the match.
“I’m pretty hard on myself. What do I take away from this tournament? I think I definitely played my best match against Elina. But right now I’m not thinking too positively about myself. I definitely wanted to be better here,” she added.
Despite it all, Osaka found some silver lining, pointing out that she played better against Garcia in Miami than against Elise Mertens in the third round of Indian Wells.
What Did Fans Expect?
Her fans expected her to win the Miami Open after performing below expectations at the Australian Open and Indian Wells.
Tennis analyst Mark Petchey in February told those who had written Osaka off to be wary because she has showed her tennis brilliance before.
He said that Osaka is in proper form and that her performance at the Australian Open shouldn’t be a reason to lose hope in her.
Naomi Osaka. Photo/WWOS-Nine
This was the second tournament this season that Garcia beat her in. She defeated her in the first round of Australian Open 2024 6-4, 7-6(2).
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova called her out for playing in Melbourne before attaining proper form.
“I am surprised that she started playing, that she got on the tour that she played this tournament without clearly being in the tip-top shape she needs to be in order to put herself in the position to hit the big, big balls. She was stretched out way too much and the fact that she didn’t have a breakpoint tells you all you need to know about that match,” said Navratilova.
Osaka recovered well from her poor start at the 2024 Qatar Open, making it all the way to the quarterfinals before falling to Karoline Pliskova.
Following the performance, she rose 461 places in the WTA Rankings, landing her at No. 229.
The former world No. 1 in Petchey’s opinion, still has a lot more in store for her fans. He said that her performance at the Qatar Open was enough proof that she still has her tennis charm on.
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