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Naomi Osaka Breaks French Open Curse

A primetime clash awaits after the former world No. 1 secured her 100th career Grand Slam match victory on Saturday.

Naomi Osaka is putting on a show in Paris, and it is about much more than her wardrobe. The four-time Grand Slam champion just booked her ticket to the French Open fourth round for the very first time in her career.

Osaka had to earn every bit of it on Saturday, grinding out a tough three-set win over 18-year-old American Iva Jovic. The match lasted nearly three hours, with Osaka ultimately walking away with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4 victory. It was a huge moment for Osaka, considering it was her 100th career Grand Slam match and the first time she has made it past the second round at Roland Garros since 2019.

Of course, she made sure her entrance matched the occasion. Osaka stepped onto Court Suzanne-Lenglen wearing a metallic gold bomber jacket and a long, tannish-gold train that swept across the red clay, hiding a sequined gold tennis dress underneath.

Osaka shared that these custom looks take about a year and a half of planning and at least four separate fittings to get right. But for her, the fashion is about keeping things fun. She reminded everyone of her tough exit in 2021, when she withdrew from the tournament to protect her mental health while dealing with anxiety and depression. Now, she is all about enjoying the moment, and that positive mindset is paying off.

On the court, Osaka looked sharp and used her veteran experience to hold off Jovic, who is 10 years younger than her. Osaka leaned heavily on her signature power game, hammering 12 aces and cranking up her first serve to a blazing 123 mph to win the biggest points of the match.

Next up is a heavy hitter showdown against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Monday. The tournament coordinators placed this match in the Monday night slot, making it the first women's match to get the primetime treatment in Paris in three years. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has taken plenty of heat lately for giving men's matches 33 straight night sessions, so this scheduling move is a big deal. Interestingly, the last woman to play in the night session was Sabalenka back in 2023, when she played Sloane Stephens.

Sabalenka leads the head-to-head matchup 2-1 and has already beaten Osaka twice this year at Indian Wells and Madrid.

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