Naomi Osaka started victoriously at the 2025 Miami Open, but it wasn’t an easy win. However, she’s excited about the challenge ahead of her.
Osaka was away from the sport for some time after the Australian Open, where she had to retire from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic, taking time to recover.
She made her return on the courts in Indian Wells but lost in the first round to Camila Osorio. In Miami, however, the story was different for the former WTA World No. 1 player.
Osaka beat Yuliia Starodubtseva in the first round, but it wasn’t an easy win; she was down 3-6 and 2-4 before rallying back to win in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. After the match, Osaka expressed satisfaction with her determination on the court.
“I knew that I wasn’t playing too well, but I thought, let me try to stay on the court as long as possible, because I consider Miami my home. [In Indian Wells] I was just over-hitting a lot, so I tried to use my legs. I was going to run into every corner if I had to, and we were going to have to play for three hours if she was going to beat me.”
Osaka has never been known for her exceptional movement, relying instead on her shot-making skills. However, her improved movement in the match against Starodubtseva was a point of pride for her.
“I think the thing I’m the most proud of is my movement. I was able to get a lot of balls back today. I don’t think I have, in my head, thought to rely on my wheels in a really long time. So I’m really glad I’ve got to this point in my fitness – it’s been quite a long journey post-pregnancy, so I’m really happy about that.”
Surprisingly, Osaka also mentioned her struggle with nerves during the match, expressing her feelings openly, reminiscent of Carlos Alcaraz’s recent comments about anxiety before losing to Jack Draper in Indian Wells.
“I’m also working on not being so nervous. Some of my shots didn’t go the way I wanted them to because I was a little shaky. I think getting more matches under my belt will help that go away.”
“Mentally, it took a lot, but there’s a zone of focus I get into where I don’t remember certain things. I was talking to Patrick [Mouratoglou], and he said, ‘You were a set down and a break down and a point to be 5-2 down,’ and I couldn’t remember that. So I was kind of shocked. I just try to make every point count, and eventually it adds up.”
After her victory over Starodubtseva, Osaka is now preparing for her second-round match against the 24th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova. The four-time Grand Slam champion expressed her eagerness to take on the sport’s biggest names.
She had a notable match against Iga Swiatek last year and looks forward to adding another memorable encounter to her list.
“I want to play with the big dogs so bad, and I just see everyone playing so well, and I want to do the same. But I have to remember, it’s a process.”
