Indian Wells – Naomi Osaka has won her first tennis match since her early exit from the Australian Open to reach the second round at Indian Wells.
In a clash between two former US Open winners, the former world number one beat Sloane Stephens of the USA 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Osaka had won the Masters at Indian Wells in 2018 but had not played at the WTA tournament in the California desert since 2019. For Stephens, it was her first defeat in her third head-to-head clash with Osaka.
Osaka will now face Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the US$8,584,055 hard-court tournament. Angelique Kerber, after a walk-through in round one, will face Qinwen Zheng from China in the second round. The only other German in the main draw, Andrea Petkovic, withdrew due to an unspecified leg injury, according to the organisers.