By H.JanGra May 23, 2022
Naomi Osaka was knocked out of the French Open in the first round on Monday, 12 months after controversially quitting the tournament
The error-plagued Japanese star was defeated 7-5, 6-4 by Amanda Anisimova of the United States, serving up eight double faults and committing 29 unforced errors.
Former world number one and four-time major winner Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros in 2021 when she refused to honour mandatory media commitments before revealing she had been suffering from depression.
Osaka was fined and threatened with a Grand Slam ban for her opposition to news conferences which she likened to "kicking people when they're down".
"It's tough to see Naomi Osaka in the first round so I knew it wouldn't be easy," said 27th-seeded Anisimova.
"I knew I had to play my best tennis and the conditions were not easy."
On a cold, damp day on Court Suzanne Lenglen, there were four breaks of serve in the first six games.