Osaka secures first Auckland win in eight years to start 2025

The former world no. 1 Naomi Osaka got her 2025 season underway with a 6-4, 6-4 win over qualifier Lina Glushko in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand on Monday.

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Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka needed 1 hour 25 minutes to hold off Glushko and advance to the second round of the WTA 250 event. Here are some takeaways from Osaka’s win:

Triumphant return after eight years away: Exactly 12 months ago, Osaka got back to work after her maternity leave. Osaka chose to start this season in New Zealand as this week’s no. 7.

Osaka had played the ASB Classic only once before, reaching the quarterfinals in 2017 as a teenager ranked just inside the Top 50. That year, Osaka advanced past Venus Williams via walkover, then fell in the last eight to Ana Konjuh.

Much has changed in eight years. Osaka now has four major titles and 21 weeks at world no. 1 behind her, and she gave birth to daughter Shai in July 2023.

“I’m really happy to be back,” Osaka said on the court after her win.

Osaka cooled off the qualifier’s strong start: Glushko, a 24-year-old ranked no. 221, is still a relative newcomer to tour-level matches. This was only her fourth WTA main-draw match, and her first tour-level win came just last year over Kateryna Volodko in Monterrey.

Despite the difference in their performances on tour, Monday’s match was no cakewalk for Osaka. Glushko made Osaka work in rallies and demonstrated the form that allowed her to win two straight-set matches in this weekend’s qualifier.

Osaka broke serve just once in the first set, having to fire off several crosscourt backhands in a lengthy rally before outlasting the speedy Glushko for 2-1.

In the second set, Osaka saw a 3-1 lead slip away as Glushko snapped three straight games. But Osaka regrouped to win the final three games of the day, withstanding Glushko’s defence, windy conditions and audible protests outside the stadium which briefly halted play in the first set.

“It was good to have to, I think, scrap a little bit for the first round,” Osaka said.

Stellar serves the key statistics: Even during patches where unforced errors came her way, Osaka could rely on her delivery to get her through. Osaka fired seven aces in the match, and she won 77 percent of her first-serve points and 64 percent of her second-serve points.

“I just kept trying to tell myself ‘One point at a time’ and try not to get discouraged,” Osaka said. “Fortunately, it worked out in my favor in the end.”

Osaka will hope to maintain this form when she takes on Julia Grabher in the second round. Grabher saved a match point in a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(7) win over qualifier Leyre Romero Gormaz on Monday.