Paula Badosa beat Naomi Osaka 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4 in the French Open on Monday.
PARIS – Naomi Osaka said she "hates disappointing people" after sliding to a tough three-set loss to Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa in the first round of the French Open on Monday. Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka saved a set point in the opening set before dominating the tie-break, but Badosa ran away with the second set to force a decider.
Osaka regrouped and broke early for a 2-0 lead only for Badosa to quickly pull level, landing the crucial break in the seventh game on her way to a 6-7 , 6-1, 6-4 victory. "It was a tough match," said Osaka, who suffered an agonising loss to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in last year's second round, having held a match point.Former world number one Osaka is now working with Patrick Mouratoglou, the long-time coach to Serena Williams. She won a lower-level title on clay earlier this month and is back in the top 50 but is still fighting to return to the sport's upper echelons."So, like, even with Patrick, I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with, like, the greatest player ever to, like... this? You know what I mean?" Osaka did not play in 2023 due to the birth of her daughter and struggled for consistency after returning to the professional circuit last season. But the 27-year-old had the second round in her sights after taking a one-set lead over Badosa, whose injury problems had limited her to two matches on clay in the build-up to Roland Garros. Osaka has been wearing flower-inspired outfits this year and unveiled cherry blossom-themed shoes for Roland Garros, with a kit to match. She took a medical timeout between the first and second sets, during which she trimmed her floral nails before later explaining that a blister issue from Rome had resurfaced. "Since Rome, I have had, like, blisters on my hands. I think it's like from the friction of clay, because I don't have blisters on any other surface," she said. Badosa won the first five games of the second set and said she drew inner strength from a famous compatriot as she completed a comeback win. "I have to say that when I was 7-6 down the first thing I did was to look over there," said Badosa, pointing to Rafael Nadal's footprint carved into the Philippe Chatrier court, which was unveiled during his farewell ceremony on Sunday.Ronaldo announces Al-Nassr chapter 'over'Pakistan willing to hold talks with India for regional peace: PM ShehbazDiary of a Gazan family's descent toward starvation
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