NAOMI Osaka said she felt like she was dreaming following winning her first Wimbledon appearance in five years.
The four-time Grand Slam winner beat Diane Parry 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in the first round of Wimbledon on Monday (1/7).
The former world number one from Japan returned to action in 2024 following giving birth to her first child, Shai, a year ago.
The 26-year-old, who is currently ranked 13th in the world, missed Wimbledon in 2022 due to injury and in 2021 due to taking time off to deal with mental health issues.
“I’m really happy to be here. Oddly enough, Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched while I was pregnant and my daughter is celebrating her first birthday tomorrow. So I’m really happy to win here,” Osaka said.
Appearing with a wildcard facility, Osaka won the first set in just 22 minutes once morest her French opponent.
Also read: Osaka Considers Boycotting Wimbledon Due to No Ranking Points
However, in the second set, Osaka’s performance slumped and Parry quickly equalized to 1-1 so the match had to go to a decider.
In the third set, Osaka, who had never advanced beyond the third round at Wimbledon, rallied to beat Parry.
In the second round, Osaka will face 19th seed from the United States (US) Emma Navarro. (bbc/Z-1)
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