Naomi Osaka Advances to French Open Third Round for First Time in 7 Years

Central News Agency, Paris, May 28. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka defeated Croatian player Donna Vekic in straight sets, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, in the second round of the French Open today, advancing to the third round for the first time in seven years. According to AFP, Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, will face American youngster Iva Jovic in the next round, with both players aiming for their first-ever appearance in the French Open round of 16. The 16th-seeded Osaka was broken early in the match but quickly recovered. At a critical moment in the first set, she broke her opponent's serve again to prevent them from taking the set. Osaka showed overwhelming dominance in the first-set tiebreak and secured a crucial break late in the second set to defeat the world No. 72, Vekic. Osaka reached the semifinals of the US Open last year, which was her only appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam since winning the Australian Open in 2021. The former world No. 1 returned to the tour in early 2024 after a year-long maternity break.