Former world No. 1, Naomi Osaka, faced her first Grand Slam tournament since becoming a mother, marking her return to the tennis scene at the Australian Open. This comeback, unfortunately, commenced with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) first-round defeat against Caroline Garcia on the Rod Laver Arena. Tennis has been known to test players in their return matches and Osaka’s experience was no exception, a reality Andy Murray is familiar with. Despite the loss, Osaka went into this tournament with a commendable record. She won the Australian Open twice, in 2019 and 2021, and, out of her eight previous appearances, she succeeded in progressing to at least the third round seven times. Falling short against Garcia, however, was a twist in her previously successful narrative. Still, Osaka managed to take positives from this experience, acknowledging the uphill battle while maintaining high spirits following her return after pregnancy.