Martina Navratilova says her ‘heart is broken’ after what happened in French Open second round

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Martina Navratilova issued an honest assessment of how she felt after watching Naomi Osaka’s epic match against Iga Swiatek.

The pair were drawn to meet each other in the second round at Roland Garros and they contested a three-hour classic worthy of a final.

For the first time since her most recent defeat in Paris in 2021, the World number one was in great danger of losing.

But the Pole found a way to keep her winning streak alive and continue her chances of winning a third successive French Open.

Martina Navratilova assesses Naomi Osaka’s performance against Iga Swiatek

Facing Swiatek at the French Open was certainly the most difficult match for Osaka since returning to the tour after a 14-month absence during which she had her first child.

The former World number one produced an excellent performance as she found herself just one point away from causing the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

Assessing Osaka’s level and how the match made her feel, Navratilova told Tennis Channel: “My heart is broken for Naomi Osaka.

“Those are one of the matches, no matter how many you play, you never forget. You forget some losses, not that one. You forget a lot of wins.

“This is an unforgettable win for Swiatek but Naomi has got to be happy that she played so well, this is by far the best she’s played in a long time. Never mind the baby, even long before the baby was born she has not played her best tennis.”

Iga Swiatek narrowly escapes defeat to Naomi Osaka at Roland Garros

Osaka produced some brilliant tennis in the first set and came from a break down to level the set, but ultimately lost it on a tiebreak.

But the four-time Grand Slam champion continued to play fearless and aggressive tennis and stormed through set two with the loss of just one game.

Her momentum continued in set three as she went up 3-0, then 5-2 and had match point when serving at 5-3. But some untimely unforced errors proved costly and Swiatek took full advantage to claim a 7-6, 1-6, 7-5 win.

“She was so close, break points for 5-1 in the third set. It could’ve been 6-1, 6-1. In the end Swiatek just weathered the storm,” Navratilova added.

“She was almost hit off the court, again something that we never see. But Osaka, heartbreaker. She’s got a lot to be proud of but this was a rough one.”