Naomi Osaka didn't impress in her United Cup debut after struggling heavily in her opening match of the year and dropping her serve five times ina 4-6 2-6 loss to world No. 52 Maria Sakkari.
Right out of the gate, the 16th-ranked Japanese got broken, but managed to get the break back and tie the first set to two games apiece.
However, Osaka's struggles on her serve - specifically her ball toss - continued and she lost her serve at the worst possible moment when serving to stay in the first set.
After losing the first set in a heartbreaking way, Osaka also missed out on two consecutive break points in the third game of the second set. Soon it went from bad to worse for the former world No. 1 as Sakkari clinched back-to-back breaks to open a comfortable 5-1 lead.
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While four-time Grand Slam champion managed to get one break in the seventh game, Sakkari remained unfazed and completed the job by breaking the Japanese in the following game.
During the match, Osaka had three double faults and won only 54 percent of her first serve points. On the other side, her Greek rival hit three aces and converted five of her nine break points opportunities.
If Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Shintaro Mochizuki in the match that follows, Greece will seal the win over Japan.
What Sakkari said before facing Osaka at the United Cup?
Last year was the first season since 2012 in which Sakkari finished with a negative record (25-29). However, it should be noted that the Greek battled a shoulder injury.
When speaking with reporters before the Osaka match, the 30-year-old described her 2025 as "very difficult" but also claimed that she practiced well in the offseason and that she was ready to return to her past form.
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"The most important thing is that I have full belief that I can come back to where I was. I'm going to try everything I can in order to put myself back to that spot," Sakkari said.
