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Naomi Osaka Wins Opening Tennis Match at the Olympics

Naomi Osaka Wins Opening Tennis Match at the Tokyo Olympics, Bringing Fire to the Games in More Ways than One

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 26: Naomi Osaka of Team Japan celebrates after match point in her Women's Singles Second Round match against Viktorija Golubic of Team Switzerland on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Naomi Osaka returned to tennis this weekend with a win during her opening match at the Olympics after taking a mental health break from the sport — withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon. The quadruple Grand Slam winner brought fire to the Olympic cauldron and the tennis court as she defeated Zheng Saisai from China 6-1, 6-4.

After her win, Osaka spoke with the press saying "the Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so I feel like the break that I took was very needed. I feel definitely a little bit refreshed, and I'm happy again." It's a message that was reiterated in her recent Instagram post where she captioned a smiling photo of herself on the court with "I'm here for a good time." With the opening match under her belt, we're excited to see what's to come for Osaka's Olympic run.

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