Naomi Osaka wants to 'play with the big dogs' after opening victory at Miami Open in first win since Australian Open

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Naomi Osaka said she wants to "play with the big dogs" after beating Yuliia Starodubtseva in three sets in the first round of the Miami Open. The former world No.1 came from a set down to beat her Ukrainian opponent 3-6 6-4 6-3 and register her first victory since the Australian Open second round. Osaka is looking to return to her best, after taking a lengthy break from tennis.

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts while playing against Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine in the first round on Day 1 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 18, 2025 in Miami Gardens

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Naomi Osaka said she wants to "play with the big dogs" after beating Yuliia Starodubtseva in three sets in the first round of the Miami Open.

The former World No.1 came from a set down to beat Starodubtseva 3-6 6-4 6-3 and register her first victory since the Australian Open second round.

Osaka took a 15-month break from tennis to prioritise her mental health and give birth to her daughter in 2023.

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Since returning to the sport, the 27-year-old has struggled to emulate the form that saw her win four Grand Slams between 2018 and 2021.

Indeed, two weeks ago she labelled her first-round loss against Camila Osorio at Indian Wells as the "worst match I've ever played in my life".

"I want to play with the big dogs so bad and I just see everyone playing so well and I want to do the same," she said after edging past Starodubtseva.

"But I have to remember it's a process."

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Osaka, who has not progressed past the first round of a major since her 2021 Australian Open victory, added: "I knew that I wasn't playing too well, but I thought, 'Let me try to stay on the court as long as possible' because I consider Miami my home.

"At Indian Wells, I was just over-hitting a lot, so I tried to use my legs.

"I was going to run into every corner if I had to, and we were going to have to play for three hours if she was going to beat me."

Osaka started the year by reaching her first final since 2022 in Auckland. However, she withdrew from the match with an abdominal injury that would continue to affect her at the Australian Open.

"Definitely it was a little bit of a letdown to be injured right at the start of the season, especially when I thought I was playing pretty well," Osaka added in her post-match press conference.

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