Osaka Naomi has suffered a first-round defeat in the Australian Open.

The former world number one was competing in her first Grand Slam tournament since 2022 when she lost to Caroline Garcia of France, ranked 19th in the world, on Monday. Osaka returned to the tour this season, after giving birth to her daughter last July.

Osaka appeared to have gotten off to a good start, with powerful serving. But she lost the first set 4-6, after Garcia secured a break of serve in the fifth game.

The fate of a close second set was decided by a tiebreak, during which Osaka failed to gain momentum until the last minute. She ended up losing the second set 6-7.

Despite the loss, Osaka's performance occasionally drew applause from the spectators.