Naomi Osaka breezed through her opening round at the China Open with a straight sets win over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
A week of abrupt change for Japan’s Naomi Osaka has been headlined by the appointment of new coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
The Frenchman – who recently ended ties with Holger Rune – boasts a star-studded coaching career.
Previous stints with Grand Slam champions Serena Williams and Simona Halep has seen him gather a reputation on tour, with his newest partnership with Osaka dividing opinion.
Osaka however, has managed to ensure a steady start, kicking things off with a classy 6-3, 6-2 win in the opening round of the China Open.
A tournament she’s previously won in 2019, the 26-year-old faces the staunch test of Kazakh Yulia Putintseva on Friday, a player she trails 2-3 in their head-to-head.
Naomi Osaka outlines main goal for the 2025 Australian Open
The four-time major champion’s return to the tour has been marked by inconsistency – something perfectly represented by her American hard court swing.
A formidable opening round win in Toronto against Ons Jabeur saw the 26-year-old thumped by Elise Mertens in the following round.
With 19 wins and 16 defeats this year, Osaka is desperately looking to string together some wins and is looking for a fast start in 2025.
“I think for me the Asian Swing is full of possibilities,” Osaka said in her China Open press conference. “I’ve always done really well at the end of the year. I always look forward to it. Especially with the two tournaments in Japan, for me it’s kind of the time to dig deep and try to get really good results.
“My goal now, I think to be seeded in Australia,” the two-time Melbourne champion explained. “I would really love that. I would love to avoid Caroline Garcia (smiling). Yeah, just being seeded. But not putting too much pressure on myself. I’m just trying to take it day by day.”
Osaka admitted she got Mouratoglou completely wrong and at first was actually keen to avoid working with the Frenchman.
Can Naomi Osaka challenge at the Australian Open?
Adored wherever she goes, Osaka is something of a fan-favorite in Australia with her most recent major title coming in Melbourne.
Currently ranked 62nd, Osaka will need to rise back into the top 30 to have the chance of a seeding.
The 26-year-old could make her wish come true this week if she is to win in the Chinese capital, with 1000 points more than enough to send her back up the rankings.
With a bruising US Open opening win against tenth seed Jelena Ostapenko, Osaka’s ability to challenge the top players is clear.
The question more is whether she can rediscover consistent performances – that will be the real decider if she is to complete her goal.
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