Four-time Grand Slam title winner Naomi Osaka said her win over 15th seed Elina Svitolina to reach the last 32 of the Miami Open was “one of” her best performances of the year after bridging a 212-place ranking gap to beat the Ukrainian.
Japanese wildcard Osaka ended the first set with a double break before edging the second for a 6-2, 7-6 victory, later telling her millions of Instagram followers that she had “so much fun”.
“I knew she’s a great player and I had no choice but to play really well if I wanted a chance to win,” Osaka reflected to reporters.
“I definitely do think it was one of my best matches, if not the best [of 2024). But I also want myself to play better and better every match.”
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Osaka returned from maternity leave at the start of the year, losing to her third-round opponent in Miami, Caroline Garcia, in the first round of the Australian Open.
The 26-year-old produced some sublime shots against world number 17 Svitolina in a match delayed until Saturday by rain and played on a relatively small court.
so much fun ❤️ MIA forever see you tomorrow 😖 pic.twitter.com/iURkmtWqVi
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) March 24, 2024
Osaka v Garcia next
Garcia and Osaka met again in Doha, where the former world number one gained revenge with a 7-5, 6-4 win.
“We’re friends at this point,” said Osaka, joking about the frequency with which the pair face each other. “We’re just work buddies.
“We see each other all the time. It’s funny. I just want to be seeded so that I can stop playing her. She’s an amazing player, I know this.
“Every match we play is really difficult. It’s going to be interesting playing on these hard courts, because I really like them.”
Elsewhere in Florida, top-10 players Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Zheng Qinwen and Jelena Ostapenko all went out of the tournament on Saturday, but top-ranked Iga Swiatek went through.
In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz won 6-2, 6-1 against compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena to join the likes of Jannik Sinner and Andy Murray in progressing.
