Osaka beaten in first round in Rouen on clay return

Paris: Four time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was knocked out of the first round of the WTA event in Rouen on Wednesday, losing 6 4, 6 2 to Italian...

Paris: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was knocked out of the first round of the WTA event in Rouen on Wednesday, losing 6-4, 6-2 to Italian Martina Trevisan.

The former world number one was making her first appearance on clay since the 2022 French Open, when she was knocked out in the opening round and Trevisan reached the last four.

Osaka, 26, returned to action in January after taking a 15-month break from the tour due to maternity leave.

On Saturday, Osaka she would like to play in the Paris Olympics but might need to go through an appeals process after failing to make a mandatory two appearances for Japan in the Billie Jean King Cup during the current Games cycle.

Osaka's world ranking has risen from 831 to 192 since her comeback, although she has not gone beyond the quarter-finals in seven tournaments.