At her peak, the four-time Grand Slam champion played her best tennis in the toughest moments. In Melbourne, she did it again.

Naomi Osaka’s second-round match at the Australian Open could not possibly have started in a worse way. All of 21 minutes in, she sailed a forehand service return well long and, just like

The 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova allowed Osaka to reach the third round at a major tournament for the first time since the 2022 season.