Heading into Friday’s second-round match, Naomi Osaka hadn’t won a match after losing the first set since her 2022 Miami Open semi-final against Belinda Bencic, having lost 22 consecutive matches when dropping the opener.
After securing an impressive first-round victory over Lucia Bronzetti in Beijing, Osaka faced a tough challenge against 21st seed Yulia Putintseva, losing the first set. However, she fought back with a resilient performance to claim a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory, keeping her campaign alive in the Chinese capital.
In her post-match interview, Osaka shared, “I just told myself to keep going. I came all the way here, and it would be unfair to myself not to give my best effort. I just tried to dig deep.”
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Looking ahead, Osaka, who has no specific expectations, will face Katie Volynets in the third round after the American upset 14th seed Marta Kostyuk. This marks a promising start for Osaka under new coach Patrick Mouratoglou, as she aims to build momentum throughout the tournament.
Osaka, ranked 73rd, has moved up to 62nd in the live WTA rankings following her two victories. A win over Volynets could push her into the top 60, with a chance to return to the top 30 if she makes a deep run in the tournament.
Although Osaka hasn’t won a title since the 2021 Australian Open or reached a final since the 2022 Miami Open, her last non-Grand Slam victory came at this very tournament in 2019, when she defeated Ashleigh Barty in the final.
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