Osaka navigates tense three-set win over Cirstea at Australian Open

Clad once again in her aquamarine, jellyfish-inspired outfit, Naomi Osaka showed that it was the timing of her sting that mattered the most. For the second round in a row, she was taken to three sets. For the second match in a row, she elevated her level when she needed to, pulling away from Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in exactly two hours.

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The matchup revived a piece of unfinished business from early in Osaka’s career. Back in 2015, a 17-year-old Osaka made her Grand Slam qualifying debut at Wimbledon, only to be drawn against Cirstea -- then a former Top 30 player on the comeback trail from injury. Cirstea won that encounter 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 -- and then, remarkably, the pair did not meet again until this week.

Cirstea, who has announced that 2026 will be her final season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, put Osaka under pressure immediately as she took a 2-0 lead. But Osaka responded with a brilliant, high-intensity stretch of play to take six of the next seven games. Highlights included an angled backhand pass on the run to break Cirstea back early on, and a superb backhand volley at full stretch to save break point against her in the final game of the set -- one of a perfect seven out of seven points Osaka won at net.

Undaunted, the No. 41-ranked Cirstea hit back in the second set despite once again losing an early break lead. At 3-3, the 35-year-old saved a pair of break points against her and pounced as Osaka lapsed into error while serving to stay in the set.

It was only a brief lapse. The Osaka forehand was quickly on song again at the start of the third as she broke Cirstea with a number of winners from that wing. After an off-court medical timeout with Osaka leading 2-1, the match grew more tense, but the former World No. 1 stayed in control. She struck 38 winners, including three aces, to Cirstea’s 10 and saved five of eight break points. 

Tensions surfaced late in the third set. Serving at 4-2, 30-30, Cirstea objected to the umpire about Osaka’s “c’mon” between first and second serves. Play resumed with Cirstea sending two forehands long, giving Osaka a double break. The two exchanged words at the net after Osaka served out the match.

Asked what it had taken to get through the match in her on-court interview, Osaka responded: "Apparently a lot of c'mons that she was angry about," before raising her hands skyward.

"I mean, I tried to play well. I think I did a lot of unforced errors, but I tried my best. She's a great player; I think this was her last Australian Open, so ... sorry she was mad about it."

Better vibes were to be found in the crowd, where two fans had wasted no time in creating their own versions of the butterfly-ornamented hat and veil that Osaka had worn for her Tuesday walk-on. The four-time major champion gave them a shoutout in her on-court interview.

"I don't really talk that much, but I like to express myself through clothes," she said. "I'm really glad you guys loved it -- you guys look really cool, by the way."

Later, both Osaka and Cirstea sought to downplay the incident in their respective press conferences.

"I have been playing for 20 years," Cirstea said. "It's more than going on than a five-second discussion at the end that I had with Naomi. We just had a chat. Nothing big. Again, I don't think that's the main thing after tonight's match. Again, it was a good match. She was much better than me towards the end. Yeah, she deserved the win."

Osaka also lowered the temperature in the press room.

"I'm a little confused," she said. "I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologize. I think the first couple things that I said on the court was disrespectful. I don't like disrespecting people. That's not what I do. ... But when I'm pumping myself up, in my head I'm not like, 'OK, now I'm going to distract the other person.' It's purely for me."

Osaka will next face the last remaining home hope in the women's draw, Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, as she bids to return to the Australian Open fourth round for the first time since her 2021 title run.