Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts as she plays against Donna Vekic of Croatia during their second round women’s singles tennis match on the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PARIS–Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the French Open for the primary time in seven years Thursday with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.
4-time Grand Slam champion Osaka will next tackle American teenager Iva Jovic as each players attempt to achieve the last 16 at Roland Garros for the primary time.
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Osaka, seeded sixteenth, retrieved an early break against Vekic after which broke back again when her opponent was serving for the primary set.
The Japanese star dominated a tie-break and got here up with the decisive break late within the second set to place away the 72nd-ranked Vekic.
Osaka’s run to the US Open semi-finals last 12 months is the one time she has made the second week of a serious since her last Grand Slam triumph on the 2021 Australian Open.
The previous world primary returned to the courts in early 2024 after a 12 months out following the birth of her daughter.