Naomi Osaka started her U.S. Open with a win, recovering from a second-set scare to beat fellow Japanese Misaki Doi 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 on Monday night.
Osaka, the 2018 U.S. Open champion and as the fourth seed one of the favorites to take the women's title again this year, came through a tricky test against her Fed Cup teammate to advance.
She will face world No. 74 Camila Giorgi of Italy in the second round.
The 22-year-old Osaka's fitness was in doubt after she withdrew from the Western and Southern Open final in New York on Saturday with a hamstring complaint. The tournament was the final tune-up for the U.S. Open, which started on Monday.
"It was very difficult," Osaka said in her post-match interview on the court.
"I kind of expected it because of the first-round nerves, and she's also a very tough opponent. I knew there was a chance it could get really long. I just have to see what happens tomorrow and how I feel."
Doi jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set at an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium and held her advantage to 5-2 before the two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 drew level at 5-5.
However, Doi was able to hold her nerve and her serve to go up 6-5 and then broke Osaka to even the match at a set apiece.
Ultimately, though, it was not quite enough, and Osaka stepped up her level of play to close out the match in just over two hours.
Osaka, whose mother is Japanese and father is Haitian, initially planned to forfeit her Western and Southern Open semifinal in solidarity with other athletes making a stand against racial injustice and police violence, but later agreed to play after "lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA."
Osaka entered the court on Monday wearing a face mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by Louisville police in March.
"I have seven masks," Osaka said. "It's quite sad that seven isn't enough given the number of names (of people killed). Hopefully, I'll make the final and you can see them all."
The Western and Southern Open was Osaka's first tournament since the tour resumed play after the coronavirus shutdown that began in March.
The U.S. Open is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the sport, with the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 event being played entirely behind closed doors to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Related coverage:
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