BRISBANE: Naomi Osaka expressed being “super disappointed” after her return to tennis at the Brisbane International concluded with a defeat against defending champion Karolina Pliskova.
Pliskova, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, staged a comeback to win 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in a hard-fought second-round match.
Osaka, ranked world number two, sees her return to the court as a “personal win” despite the loss. She acknowledged the challenges she faced, stating, “Even stepping on the court is a personal win because a couple of weeks ago I was even doubting if I could play with everyone.” Osaka emphasized her commitment to training and improvement, expressing confidence that the year would get better for her.
The Japanese star, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had not played a tournament since September 2022, citing mental health concerns. Her decision to make a comeback followed the birth of her baby daughter in July.
Osaka started strongly against the 39th-ranked Pliskova, breaking the Czech’s opening service game. Although Pliskova leveled the set, Osaka broke again to take a 4-2 lead and held on to bank the opening set. However, the momentum shifted in the second set as Pliskova found her mark with the serve, eventually winning the set tiebreak.
Pliskova secured an early break in the third set, holding on with ease to take the match in 2 hours and 13 minutes. Reflecting on her performance, Pliskova, who has won the Brisbane International three times, said, “I thought I played quite well — there are a lot of things to improve, but it’s a good start.”
Reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka also had a dominant performance, defeating Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-0. Sabalenka expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating, “I’m super happy with the performance, and I think I played a really great match.” She hopes to maintain the same level or even improve in the upcoming matches.
