There was no hiding Naomi Osaka‘s joy — and relief — on Wednesday.
After dropping the first set in spectacular fashion to No. 20 seed Karolina Muchova, Osaka stormed back for her biggest victory since returning from maternity leave just over a year ago.
On her third match point, in front of a passionate crowd at Kia Arena, Osaka sealed the improbable victory, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to her first Round of 32 at a major in three years. She jumped up and down as she waved her hands and smiled. And then she put her hand over her heart and closed her eyes.
For the four-time major champion, including two at the Australian Open, it wasn’t just the victory or the third-round ticket that made her so emotional, it was how she did it — and who she was playing against. In both of her matches in Melbourne, including during her…
