Naomi Osaka won her first tournament in her comeback from maternity leave, defeating Kaja Juvan of Slovenia 6-1, 7-5 at the L’Open 35 de Saint Malo in France on Sunday.
Osaka, 27, hadn’t won since the Australian Open in 2021. Her daughter, Shai, was born in July 2023.
The event was a WTA 125-level tournament, played on clay courts and a tuneup for the French Open, which starts May 25.
Entering the competition in Saint Malo, Osaka was 9-5 on the season, advancing to the Round of 16 at the WTA 1000 Miami Open in March before losing to World No. 6 Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
Osaka, of Japan, was ranked No. 1 on Jan. 28, 2019, but now is No. 55. She is a four-time Grand Slam winner — twice on the hard courts in Australia and twice at the U.S. Open.
She has never advanced beyond the third round on the clay courts of Roland Garros in the French Open.
“Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst,” she posted to X on Sunday.
“That’s one of my favorite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve. Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful.”
–Field Level Media
