- Defending champion Naomi Osaka beats Camila Osario 6-3, 6-3
- World No 1 Ash Barty demolishes Lesia Tursenko 6-0, 6-1
As the attention in Melbourne Park swiftly shifted from Australia’s legal courts to its tennis courts, the two most successful women’s players over the past few years both took their first steps towards a possible collision in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Naomi Osaka, the defending champion in Melbourne, returned to grand slam competition early in the day by defeating Camila Osorio 6-3, 6-3. The world number one, Ashleigh Barty, followed her later in the day as she picked Lesia Tsurenko apart 6-0, 6-1 to reach the second round.
For Osaka, the opening day of the Australian Open marked another step in her return after a turbulent 2021 season that shifted with her announcement that she would not be participating in press conferences at the French Open as they affected her mental health. It led to a firestorm of criticism from many who don’t even follow tennis, a disproportionate response from the grand slam tournaments and at the US Open she said that she would be taking an indefinite break from tennis due to her mental health.