WTA Auckland Open 2025: Osaka defeats Israeli qualifier Glushko, reaches second round

Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka began her season with a straight-sets victory over Israeli qualifier Lina Glushko at the Auckland Open, a WTA 250 event, on Monday.

Seventh-seeded Osaka, a four-time Major winner, defeated World No. 220 Glushko 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 25 minutes in only her second appearance in Auckland. She had previously reached the quarterfinals in 2017.

Osaka broke Glushko’s serve once in the opening set. In the second set, she let a 3-1 lead slip away before coming back to wrap up the contest. She hit seven aces, won 77 per cent of her first-serve points and 64 per cent of her second-serve points in the match.

Osaka had to deal with a swirling wind on center court and with delays in play caused by the chants of a small group of protesters which were clearly audible within the stadium. There was a longer break as Osaka was poised to serve out the first set when Glushko had to leave the court for treatment to a hip injury.

“I had no idea what the score was most of the time,” Osaka said. “I just kept trying to tell myself one point at a time and trying not to get discouraged.

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“Thankfully it came out in my favor in the end.”

Japan’s Osaka, chasing her first title since Australian Open 2021, faces either Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz or Austria’s Julia Grabher next for a place in the quarterfinals.

The 27-year-old Osaka, currently ranked 58th in the world, returned to professional tennis in January this year after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023.

Her best results since then have been two quarterfinal appearances.

(With inputs from AP)