Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka wasted no time finding her groove to start the 2025 season, powering into the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland with a convincing 7-5, 6-3 victory over Julia Grabher. The straight-sets win marked an auspicious beginning to the new campaign for Osaka, who saw her 2024 season cut short by a back injury last October.
Showing no lingering effects from that ailment, Osaka exhibited her signature blend of explosive shotmaking and steely determination against Grabher. The 26-year-old Japanese superstar unleashed a barrage of laser-like forehands while remaining untroubled on serve throughout the one-hour, 32-minute encounter. Osaka never faced a break point and claimed the decisive break late in each set to advance comfortably.
Mouratoglou’s Coaching Impact on Display
Osaka’s triumphant 2025 debut also offered an early glimpse at the impact of her new coaching partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou, who joined forces with the Japanese icon during the offseason after a long and successful tenure working with Serena Williams. Mouratoglou’s renowned tactical acumen was on full display as Osaka carved up the court with surgical precision, constructing points intelligently and seizing control of baseline rallies.
“I got some great advice from a great coach over there,” Osaka said in her post-match press conference, gesturing towards Mouratoglou. “I just tried to focus on my bulletpoints and go out swinging if I had to go out.”
A Timely Boost Ahead of Australian Open
For Osaka, stringing together match wins early in the season bodes well for her chances at the fast-approaching Australian Open, where she is a two-time champion. After having her 2024 campaign derailed by injury, a deep run in Auckland would provide a tremendous boost of momentum and self-belief as she aims to reassert herself at the top of the women’s game.
- Positive signs from Osaka’s game
- Untouchable on serve
- Moving freely around the court
- Hitting with authority from the baseline
- Returning to winning ways right away
- Mouratoglou’s influence already apparent
Should Osaka maintain this scintillating form, the rest of the women’s field will have their hands full at Melbourne Park. The prospect of a reinvigorated and fully fit Osaka making another memorable run at the year’s first Grand Slam event is surely a tantalizing one for fans — and an ominous one for her rivals.
A Promising Peek at What’s to Come
While it’s essential not to read too much into a single early-season result, Osaka’s impressive display in Auckland appears to signal a renewed sense of purpose and healthy outlook as she embarks on her 2025 journey. If this is the level she’s able to sustain, talk of more Grand Slam glory and a return to the WTA’s upper echelons will undoubtedly begin to percolate.
But for now, Osaka will aim to stay locked in on the task at hand in Auckland, where a quarterfinal clash with the crafty Zheng Qinwen awaits. One thing is for certain: if the early returns are any indication, Naomi Osaka means business in 2025 — and that’s a thrilling prospect for tennis fans everywhere.
