Naomi Osaka starts French Open campaign with a straight sets victory
Naomi Osaka enjoyed the perfect start to her French Open campaign, beating Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig in straight sets — 6-4 7-6 (7-4) — on Sunday.
Osaka, a four-time major champion, cruised through the opening set but was asked to dig deep to win a tiebreak in the second.
The 23-year-old has never been past the third round at the clay court major in Paris but looked powerful in her first round match.
Although her footwork occasionally let her down, the world No. 2 remained calm and composed on a surface that hasn’t always been her best.
“I would say it’s a work in progress. Hopefully the more I play, the better it will get,” Osaka said after her win.
READ: Nadal, Djokovic and Federer all in same half of French Open draw
No press conferences
Osaka did not compete at Roland Garros in 2020, citing a hamstring injury, but has been in impressive form since — winning 15 consecutive matches at grand slams.
However, earlier in the week, she announced on social media that she will not be participating in press conferences during the French Open.
“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” Osaka wrote.
“We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.
