“Shai says good luck,” Mom Naomi Osaka expresses frustration over her Australian Open performance after being painfully away from her newborn daughter

Caroline Garcia comes off victorious against Naomi Osaka to advance to the next round at the Australian Open.

“Shai says good luck,” Mom Naomi Osaka expresses frustration over her Australian Open performance after being painfully away from her newborn daughter

Naomi Osaka with her daughter Shai (Via: People)

Naomi Osaka shared her thoughts after losing to Caroline Garcia in the first round of the Australian Open, giving insight on the emotional toll of returning to Grand Slam tennis after a layoff.

Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion, displayed a range of emotions as she faced the difficulty of juggling parenthood and her professional career. She shared how her daughter has been her pillar of support and a good luck charm.

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Before the match, she received a video of her daughter with a wholesome message.

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Before my match, I got sent a video of her. She wasn't obviously saying good luck, but I got a video of someone saying, Shai says good luck. It was really cute.
She shared.

It made her motivated, and she swore to perform better the next time she was away from her.

Talking about the match, she discussed how she is not thinking much about it. The prospect of being disappointed is there, but she wants to ease on herself as this was the first Grand Slam after her comeback.

I'm not too happy right now, but I think I can learn from the progress. You know what? Let me just shut up, yeah.
She said in the post match conference.

Related: Naomi Osaka loses in straight sets at the Australian Open as Caroline Garcia progresses to the second round

How did the match unfold?

The meeting with Garcia for Osaka was a significant challenge, having won the Australian Open two times.

Despite displaying the power that catapulted her to four Grand Slam victories before her sabbatical, Osaka struggled to maintain her precision in key moments of the match.

Naomi Osaka and Caroline Garcia
Naomi Osaka and Caroline Garcia (Image via: Imago)

The turning point in the opening set came in the fifth game, when the Japanese double-faulted, giving Garcia her first breakpoint.

The French player grasped the opportunity and promptly took the lead. Despite having a chance to break back in the eighth game, Osaka’s critical error on a routine backhand cost her the chance, allowing Garcia to finish the set with back-to-back aces.

In the second set, Osaka demonstrated her talents by winning the first three service games to love. However, Garcia’s exceptional serving abilities and Osaka’s inability to apply pressure resulted in a closely contested set that was eventually decided in a tiebreak.

Garcia controlled the tiebreak, taking a commanding lead with precision on her first serves. The match ended on Garcia’s first match point, after Osaka made another backhand error, her earliest exit in eight Australian Open appearances.

This is Osaka’s third consecutive first-round loss in a Grand Slam event, following her early withdrawals from the French Open and US Open in 2022.

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