Melbourne, Jan 20 (.) Naomi Osaka made a bold statement even before showcasing her famed power in a hard-fought first-round win at the Australian Open 2026 on Tuesday.
The two-time tournament winner turned heads on Rod Laver Arena in a striking butterfly-themed outfit, featuring a white top hat, veil, umbrella, and floor-length gown. The ensemble was worn for the toss before she changed into a traditional turquoise tennis kit for play.
On court, the US-based Japanese star defeated Antonia Ruzic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in a match lasting two hours and 22 minutes. She surged to a 3-0 lead in the decider but faced resistance from the Croatian world No.65, who briefly threatened to upset the 16th seed.
However, Osaka’s power and experience proved decisive, with a backhand down the line sealing victory. Her next opponent will be Sorana Cirstea, whom she faced once before in 2015 during Wimbledon qualifying.
Undefeated in 2026, Belinda Bencic continued her rich vein of form to storm into the second round. The Swiss star, recently returned to the top 10 and unbeaten in singles at the United Cup, beat Katie Boulter 6-0, 7-5 at Margaret Court Arena, leading a host of big names into the next stage at Melbourne Park.
Joining her were 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova, and rising Indonesian star Janice Tjen. Pliskova, returning to the Grand Slam circuit for the first time since September, ended the run of qualifier Sloane Stephens 7-6(7), 6-2, marking her first major win since the 2024 US Open. She will next face Tjen, who caused a stir by upsetting 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1), climbing rapidly up the rankings from outside the top 400 last year.
Ostapenko snapped a six-match losing streak with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Rebecca Sramkova and will meet Wang Xinyu in the second round. Meanwhile, 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya defeated Sonay Kartal in straight sets to set up a clash with Julia Grabher. Kalinskaya had previously reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne.
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