Australian Open 2024: Two-time winner Naomi Osaka knocked out by Garcia

Osaka was beaten by 16th seed Caroline Garcia in the first round of the Australian Open 2024, which also marked her return to Grand Slam appearances after a one-year hiatus

Japan’s Naomi Osaka was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open 2024 by 16th-seed Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia. Osaka was beaten in straight sets on her comeback trail. She faced a 4-6, 6-7 defeat at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park on Monday, January 15.

Two-time Australian Open Champion Osaka returned to the court after a gap of two years, having last played the season-opening major in 2022, where she had reached the third round. Osaka's is the first major upset of the tournament which is going to be the first 15-day Australian Open in the history of the competition. 

 

World-class multi-tasking from @naomiosaka during a change of ends.

There's never a bad time for a good book.#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/neTYQ6aHmG

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2024

Osaka became a mother in July 2023 and did not participate in any of the four majors that year. She was eyeing a return to form but has been faced with a setback. Ahead of the Australian Open, Osaka, 26, participated in the Brisbane International, but could only manage to reach as far as the Round of 32 where she was beaten by the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova in three sets 6-3, 6-7, 4-6.

Osaka, who trains and lives in the United States, shot to fame with her first major title in 2018 when she won the US Open at the age of 20. She later became the face of the Black Lives Matter protest during the Covid-19 pandemic and stirred the tennis world by opting out of the 2020 Cincinnati Open and forcing the tournament organisers to build pressure on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to stop all their matches for one day. 

Naomi Osaka walks onto court in an iridescent jacket for her match at Australian Open.

First Grand Slam match as a mom.

She’s doing it in style…

As always. 

pic.twitter.com/2cJ4HFAl2J

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 15, 2024

Osaka has won four major titles which have come in consecutive years. She won the 2019 Australian Open, 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open after winning her first Grand Slam in 2018.

Naomi Osaka's record in the Grand Slams
 

Tournament	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Australian Open	A	3R	2R	4R	W	3R	W	3R	A	1R
French Open	A	3R	1R	3R	3R	A	2R	1R	A
Wimbledon	Q1	A	3R	3R	1R	NH	A	A	A
US Open	Q2	3R	3R	W	4R	W	3R	1R	A