‘Fight harder’ – Naomi Osaka achieves career first and sends warning to rivals ahead of showdown with World No.6
Naomi Osaka Fights Back in Epic Miami Open Victory
Naomi Osaka is steadily rediscovering the form that made her a four-time Grand Slam champion. As the 27-year-old continues her comeback after maternity leave, her latest performance at the Miami Open proved she’s still a force to be reckoned with.
A Gritty Comeback Win
Facing Hailey Baptiste in the third round on Saturday, Osaka found herself on the brink of elimination after falling behind in the third set. However, she dug deep, battling for 2 hours and 59 minutes to secure a hard-fought 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4 victory—the longest WTA main-draw win of her career.
“This year, I’ve already played a couple of scrappy matches,” Osaka said post-match.
“I think the fight got me through. You need to play a lot of matches like this to be one of the great ones.”
Osaka’s Resilience Shines Through
Down a break in the deciding set, with Baptiste leading 4-3, Osaka rallied, converting her third break point and holding serve at love before breaking again to close out the match. She fired 13 aces compared to Baptiste’s nine, with both combining for the most aces in any women’s match at Miami this year.
“I tried to stay really positive and vocal,” Osaka admitted. “Maybe I was a little annoying, but I needed to push myself.”
Next Up: A Clash with a Top 10 Star
With this win, Osaka sets up an exciting Round of 16 showdown against World No.6 Jasmine Paolini—her first match against a Top 10 opponent this season.
“If you’re going to beat me, you’ll have to fight harder than me. And that should be quite difficult,” Osaka told Tennis Channel after the match.
Paolini, who advanced after Ons Jabeur retired with a leg injury, knows the challenge ahead.
“I expect a fast match—big serve, big return, big shots,” Paolini said. “I have to stay solid and consistent because she plays so fast.”
With Osaka’s confidence building and Paolini looking to make her mark, this Round of 16 battle promises fireworks.
