- Naomi Osaka read a book about her return to the Australian Open
- The tennis star returned to action for the first time in over a year
- She fell to defeat but got fans in stitches with her antics
Naomi Osaka was the headliner during her enthralling fight at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night, but she was seemingly more engrossed in a very different story during her return to the Australian Open.
The 26-year-old Osaka was back on the big stage for the first time since the 2022 US Open after giving birth to her first child last year, but faced a tough test in No. 16 seed Caroline Garcia, ultimately losing 6-4 , 7- 6(2).
And while things weren’t going her way in Melbourne, she made for entertaining viewing for her adoring fans after she was spotted reading a book during a change of goals.
It’s likely that the book contained detailed plans on how to defeat Garcia, although fans couldn’t help but speculate that Osaka was glued to a gripping novel.
“Snape kills Dumbledore,” one fan joked, referencing a key moment in the Harry Potter series.
Naomi Osaka chose to read a book during her return to the Australian Open
“What is she reading?” asked another.
Former tennis star Laura Robson gave an insight on Eurosport: ‘I don’t know what she’s reading, I don’t think she’ll ever tell us.
“But I could hear her from the court, before you heard her say, ‘Come on, come on, come on’ almost every time, she was really trying to pump herself up.”
Despite the score, Osaka can take heart from her performance as she returned to tennis at the Brisbane International last week just six months after the birth of her daughter with the Open, her first major since the 2022 US Open.
She warned fans last week that it will take ‘a lot of time and patience’ before she rediscovers her best performances, but the four-time Grand Slam champion believes she is capable of returning to the top of the game.
Veteran Garcia, who reached the fourth round of the Open last year, claimed an early break in the first set and never looked back
The pair went toe-to-toe in the high-quality second division, with Osaka finding her range and rhythm as the match ended in a tie-break.
While Osaka opened with an ace, world No. 19 Garcia raised her own service game to keep her rival at bay.
She finished the match with 13 aces and 89 percent of first serve points won, while hitting 34 winners to Osaka’s 20.
Garcia was full of praise for her opponent and the level of her tennis so soon after giving birth.
The 26-year-old Osaka returned to action for the first time since the US Open in 2022
She suffered a loss to No. 16 seed Caroline Garcia at Rod Laver Arena
“I have a lot of respect for Naomi as a person and a player,” Garcia said on the court after the victory.
“She’s had a great career. She was gone fifteen months. She has been through a lot.
“She’s a great girl and she’s done so much for our tennis over the years.
‘Six months after giving birth, she is already playing great. We have to be careful.’