Australian Open Day 2 preview: Garcia looks to stop Osaka's return

On Monday, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka makes her highly anticipated Grand Slam return -- against No. 16 seed Caroline Garcia. These are two of tennis’ most aggressive, exciting players.

You have to feel for Garcia. Her first match this year came in the United Cup against World No.1 Iga Swiatek. She won the first set but lost in three. After France advanced to the semifinals, Garcia rallied for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Angelique Kerber. Now, she’s facing her second consecutive returning mother who also happens to be a multiple Grand Slam champion.

The hype has been formidable.

Last year, Garcia went without a title and her ranking dropped to No.20. Why was it so difficult to maintain her late 2022 level?

“It’s a good question,” Garcia told WTAtennis.com. “Obviously, it’s easier to go to the top than maintain. I got some expectations -- I wanted to do more and more, and sometimes it was like more and more is not the best way to think.

“With my game style, I can get tense and not go 100 percent. I start to make mistakes, move not as well. Yeah, it was a tricky season for sure.”

It’s about to get trickier, for two of Osaka’s four majors wins came in Melbourne, in 2019 and 2021. In their only previous meeting, Osaka beat Garcia in straight sets on the way to that 2021 title.

In her Friday meeting with the press, Osaka said she’s been soaking up the nostalgia.

Australian Open: Scores | Draws | Order of play

“Just going into the locker room and having the same locker as before,” she said. 

“Just being able to hit on Rod Laver, look up at the sky and kind of just realize, like, I’ve been able to win twice here. I would love to do it again.”

Osaka’s young daughter, Shai, is back home in the United States. Osaka’s been FaceTiming regularly but is worried she’ll miss Shai’s first crawl.

What was the biggest thing she learned from her 15 months away from the game?

“I’ve taken a lot of breaks throughout the years,” Osaka said. “I think this one was the one that finally clicked in my head. I think I realized being an athlete, that time is really precious. I guess after having Shai, kind of going through the struggle of trying to get myself back to where I want to be, it was incredibly tough.

“I have a much more positive mindset and a much more grateful mindset.”

For the record, Osaka is 7-0 in first-round matches in Melbourne and has a 24-5 record (.828), the best percentage in the field. In 12 previous appearances, Garcia advanced to the Round of 16 twice.

Osaka on Garcia: “She’s an incredible player. She has every shot that a Top 5 player needs. My immediate thought was, ‘OK, this is tough, but I definitely think I can achieve what I want to achieve.’”

More from Day 2 Down Under

Double-digit Slams?

Coco Gauff has never been shy about expressing her lofty goals. With one major title already to her credit, the 19-year-old was asked if she had a specific number in mind.

“I would say recently I feel like I wanted to get double-digits,” Gauff said. “That’s, like, cool. But there’s no number. Who knows? That could change depending on how my career goes. I don’t know if it will happen, but I think that’s a high goal. I think setting my goals high pushes me beyond what I think I can do.”

Unveiling a new, abbreviated service toss, Gauff won all five of her matches last week in Auckland. On Monday, she meets Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, a player she’s already beaten twice on clay.

Southpaw success

Trivia time: Which female left-handers have had the most success at the Australian Open this century?

Answer: Angelique Kerber and Petra Kvitova made the finals, in 2016 and 2019.

We bring this up because reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova had more wins than any left-hander last year, 36. She’s the No.7 seed and takes on qualifier Dayana Yastremska.

With No.9 Barbora Krejcikova, Vondrousova is one of two Czech Republic players seeded in the Top 10. It would be three, if Karolina Muchova hadn’t pulled out with a chronic wrist injury that sent her out of last year’s WTA Finals in Cancun.

Vondrousova won the only match against Yastremska, in 2022 Dubai.

Getting Ons with it

Osaka had a pre-tournament hit with Ons Jabeur.

“Ons, of course, makes me feel embarrassed because of the shots she can play,” Osaka said. “I’m like, `Wow, I wish I could do all those things.’ ”

Now, she just needs to translate that wicked shot-making to the Australian Open, where she’s a middling 7-6 (.540) -- her lowest winning percentage in a major. The No.6-seeded Jabeur starts with qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, whom she’s never played.

From unranked to Australian Open, Starodubtseva is ready to shine

Jabeur's serve, as usual, will be critical. No woman saved more break points in Grand Slam play last year (90) and only Aryna Sabalenka (144) and Elena Rybakina (106) made more aces than Jabeur (92).

Schedule of play

Rod Laver Arena

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova vs. Coco Gauff

Mateo Berrettini vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas

Alex de Minaur vs. Milos Raonic

Caroline Garcia vs. Naomi Osaka

Margaret Court Arena

Terence Atmane vs. Daniil Medvedev

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Donna Vekic

Ons Jabeur vs. Yuliia Starodubtseva

Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Dominic Thiem

John Cain Arena

Dayana Yastremska vs. Marketa Vondrousova

Alexei Popyrin vs. Marc Polmans

Magdalena Frech vs. Daria Saville

Omar Jasika vs. Hubert Hurkacz

Kia Arena

Storm Hunter vs. Sara Errani

Adrian Mannarino vs. Stan Wawrinka

Andy Murray vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Linda Fruhvirtova vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia