Toronto: Osaka dominates Jabeur despite first serve issues

Naomi Osaka recorded her fifth win over a top 20 player since returning from maternity leave at the start of the 2024 season by beating ninth-seeded Ons Jabeur 6-3 6-1 at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Playing on her favourite surface, the hardcourt specialist managed to hit just 46% of her first serves, but never faced a break point against the three-time Grand Slam runner-up.

“Everyone knows I really like hard court. I didn’t think too much about it. It was very instinctive,” Osaka said after the first round match: “Honestly, when I play against the best players, like Us, I usually play better.”

While Osaka’s first-serve percentage was below par, Jabeur’s was even lower at 36%, and she was broken four times by Osaka. It’s worth noting that Jabeur withdrew from the Mubadala Citi DC Open last week due to a shoulder problem.

Osaka now lead their head-to-head matches 2-0 after beating Jabeur in three sets at the 2021 Australian Open.

This is Osaka’s first match win in Canada since 2019when she reached the quarterfinals, losing to Serena Williams at the same tournament, then called the Rogers Cup.

In the second round, world number 95 Osaka will face Belgium’s Elise Mertens. Osaka leads their career meetings 4-2, having won their last meeting on the grass courts of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in June, while Mertens defeated Osaka in Indian Wells in March. (via WTA)