A four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka returned from maternity leave last year and lost in the first or second round of all four major tournaments. The 27-year-old Japan native has not won any event on the WTA Tour since capturing her second Australian Open title to start 2021.

Fourteen seeded players, including last year’s finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen, take center stage as the top half of the draw battles for a spot in the third round.

Aryna Sabalenka survives early test as Zheng Qinwen crashes out - Fifth seed Zheng was beaten by veteran Laura Siegemund while Sabalenka saw off Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Born on August 21, 1996, Karolina Muchova is a Czech tennis ... a WTA 1000 event, Muchova defeated Aryna Sabalenka, Petra Martic, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Maria Sakkari to make her maiden WTA ...

Naomi Osaka came from one set down to defeat Karolina Muchova in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open.

The Belarusian insists it is a Grand Slam and there are many other players who are playing well. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Zheng Qinwen, Diana Shnaider, Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula all delivered magic winners on Day 3 of the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will step up their bids for tennis history ... faces a difficult match against the 20th-seeded Czech Karolina Muchova, who won when the pair last met, at the 2024 US Open. "Obviously I fell a little short in the US ...

So far, confirmations; the surprise of the day was the defeat of Qinwen Zheng, finalist last year here in Melbourne. The Chinese was defeated by Laura Siegemund, who played a truly extraordinary match. The German is now in an open draw portion, in which there are also Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Diana Shnaider and Donna Vekic.

Aryna Sabalenka survives first Australian Open test, while Chinese ace Qinwen Zheng is shocked; Naomi Osaka sets up meeting with fellow mum Belinda Bencic; watch all the action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+,

Last year's runner-up Zheng Qinwen was knocked out of the Australian Open on Wednesday in the biggest shock so far but defending champion Aryna ... Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. American seventh seed Jessica Pegula, beaten in the US Open final by ...

Osaka rallied past 20th-seeded Karolina Muchova 1-6 ... Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus powered into the third round, beating Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 7-5.