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Associated Press

Naomi Osaka was greeted by some cheers when she walked onto the court, then got significantly louder ones when her work for the day was done.
Maybe the comforts of home helped.
Flashing the level of play that vaulted her to No 1 in the world not too long ago, Osaka had little trouble in beating Astra Sharma of Australia 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday – the first full day of play at the Miami Open.
Osaka is Japanese-born, calls California home now, but spent much of her youth in South Florida, basically just a few miles north of where the Miami Open is now held.

“I kind of consider this like my home tournament,” Osaka said, before her words got drowned out by more cheers and applause from fans. “This is the tournament that I loved coming to once a year. I’m just really happy to be back out here.”
It was Osaka’s first match since a March 12 loss at Indian Wells, when she was rattled by a derogatory shout from a spectator. If any similar thoughts were expressed by the fans who were watching Wednesday in a largely empty stadium court built over the field where the NFL’s Miami Dolphins play football, they either were ignored or unnoticed.
“Honestly, for me, I just didn’t want to let anything bother me today no matter what happened,” Osaka said. “The last match that I played was not the greatest memory for me.”

That is when someone decided to yell from the stands: “We love you.”
Osaka surely appreciated that sentiment.
She revealed Wednesday that she began seeing a therapist after Indian Wells – “it only took like a year after French Open,” she quipped, referring to how she missed the clay-court grand slam event to focus on her mental health last year – and that she was bracing to hear heckling.
“I’m glad that I have people around me that told me to go in that direction,” Osaka said. “I was basically just remembering all the things that she told me to do, just to take deep breaths and reset myself when I need to.”

Osaka will face No 13 seed Angelique Kerber of Germany – like Osaka, another former world No 1 – in the second round Thursday. Kerber, like all 32 seeds in the 96-player singles field, had a bye out of the first round. Kerber is 4-1 head-to-head against Osaka.
Osaka improved to 7-2 this year, not counting a walkover loss at Melbourne in early January when she withdrew from an Australian Open warm-up event with an abdominal injury.
She is ranked No 77 in the world largely because she has not entered many events in the last year, though among active players – if Ashleigh Barty is no longer considered one after her surprising retirement announcement – Osaka is the most recent to hold the No. 1 ranking. Barty supplanted her in the top spot on September 9, 2019, and has held that ranking since.
Osaka has openly talked about struggling with depression and working on her mental health since winning the 2018 US Open over Serena Williams. She withdrew from last year’s French Open, left last year’s US Open in tears and was brought to tears again by the comment from a spectator at Indian Wells earlier this month.
“I just wanted to prove that I could come back out here and compete,” Osaka said.
In another match of note Wednesday, Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania topped Hailey Baptiste of the US 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-1 to earn a second-round match-up against women’s No. 1 seed Arnya Sabalenka.


Carlos Alcaraz ready to ‘get socks dirty again’ with return to clay at Monte Carlo

Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong opens clay-court season with first-round loss at Houston Open

Jannik Sinner powers past Jiri Lehecka to claim ‘Sunshine Double’ with Miami Open win

Tennis’ top 2 women Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina to clash again in Miami Open semi-final

ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)

Miami Open: Naomi Osaka wins first match since heckling incident, tops Astra Sharma in straight sets

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts after scoring a point against Astra Sharma of Australia during their first round match at the Miami Open. Photo: TNS

Naomi Osaka returns a shot to Astra Sharma during the 2022 Miami Open. Photo: AFP

Naomi Osaka speaks with WTA supervisor Clare Wood after play was disrupted by a shout from the crowd during her straight sets defeat against Veronika Kudermetova. Photo: AFP

Naomi Osaka hits a backhand against Astra Sharma in their first round women’s singles match at the Miami Open. Photo: USA TODAY Sports

Naomi Osaka reduced to tears by heckler at Indian Wells, says comment reminded her of abuse faced by Serena and Venus Williams

Naomi Osaka cries as she speaks with WTA supervisor Clare Wood at the BNP Paribas Open. Photo: AFP

Naomi Osaka waves to the crowd as she leaves the court in Indian Wells. Photo: EFA-EPE

Veronika Kudermetova in action against Naomi Osaka. Photo: EPA-EFE

Samantha Stosur hails Ash Barty’s ‘incredible career’ as tennis world No 1 announces shock retirement

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty celebrates winning the Australian Open. Photo: Reuters

Ash Barty poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Danielle Collins in the women’s singles final at the 2022 Australian Open. Photo: AP

As Ash Barty says farewell to tennis, here are 5 athletes who shocked the sports world and retired at their peak

World No 1 Ash Barty has announced her retirement from tennis at the age 25, less than two months after winning the Australian Open in Melbourne. Photo: EPA-EFE

Martina Hingis was all smiles after winning the Australian Open in January 1997, aged just 16 years. Photo: AP 

Former Wimbledon tennis champion Bjorn Borg during a press conference in Hong Kong circa 1989. Photo: SCMP

Michael Jordan flies in for the dunk during a game against the Utah Jazz in 1998. Photo: AFP

Magic Johnson speaks to the press after resigning as Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations on April 9, 2019. Photo: AFP

Khabib Nurmagomedov with his trainer and father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in 2018. Abdulmanap died after a battle with Covid-19. Photo: EPA-EFE

Sport

Tennis


It was Osaka’s first match since a March 12 loss at Indian Wells, when she was rattled by a derogatory shout from a spectator
‘Honestly, for me, I just didn’t want to let anything bother me today no matter what happened,’ Osaka said



Japan’s Naomi Osaka says she wants to move on from her traumatic early exit at Indian Wells after winning her opening match at the Miami Open.
