As the two-time Australian Open champ, Naomi Osaka, entered the Rod Laver Arena, she had one aim: reach the finals, and hopefully, win that too. However, her very first match against debutant Antonia Ruzic saw a delay she least expected due to a technical failure. 

One set up, Osaka was trailing Ruzic 5-3 in the second set. However, as the Croatian got ready to serve, everyone spotted something strange. The red lights at both ends of the net did not switch off. Sensing trouble, umpire Marijana Veljović halted the play and called for the match supervisor.

The lights, part of a new tech system that blinks when a ball goes out, would not turn off even when the ball was inside the court. While they are supposed to help by providing instantaneous visual feedback for player convenience, they became the reason why both players refused to continue the match until the issue was resolved. Once that was clear, the umpire turned to the crowd to explain:

“Just to confirm now, the ball was in, the lights are still on, but they are working on it to switch it off,” she said, voice echoing through the arena mic. “Are you OK with it, to continue?” she asked the players. When Osaka and Ruzic both said no, came the calm reply, “OK, we wait then.”

Asked how long the fix might take, she admitted, “I don’t have information about that.”

Interestingly, TNT Sports commentator Naomi Broady acknowledged that while she understands why both players did not want to continue, the lights were turned on before the point began. However, no one noticed it until the point had finished.

The new additions have found mixed reactions from other tennis stars. In the 2026 United Cup, Taylor Fritz simply rejected the idea as the lights were not clearly visible during day matches due to sun glare, but it was a jarring distraction in evening matches. Coco Gauff, on the other hand, did not have any stance on them, mentioning that it didn’t distract her.

The match was halted for a little over five minutes, and when it resumed, Naomi Osaka seemed in trouble.

The Croatian had Osaka on the ropes for a moment. She took the second set after losing the first and twice broke the four-time Grand Slam champion in the third. But Osaka answered each time immediately and closed out a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory in two hours and 22 minutes.

When it came to the numbers, Naomi Osaka had the upper hand in the shorter exchanges, winning 62 points that lasted four shots or fewer, compared to Ruzic’s 47. However, once rallies extended beyond five shots, Ruzic gained a slight edge, taking 45 points to the former No. 1’s 40. The sheer number of long rallies, 85 in total, reflected the high-intensity tennis that defined the match.

Even so, the match felt like Osaka’s from the start. The crowd’s attention followed her the instant she stepped through the players’ walk, and it never left.

Naomi Osaka steals the spotlight with her runway look

Naomi Osaka sure knows how to make an entrance. As she made her way to Rod Laver Arena, Osaka carried a white umbrella and wore a soft white veil over a wide-brimmed hat. Her blue-and-white frilly Nike track suit added the perfect touch of drama, matching her playful but confident vibe on opening day. The outfit carried little hints of Osaka’s story too, as she explained in the post-match interview:

“Nike let me design this one and it’s modelled after a jellyfish,” Naomi Osaka said. “I’m just so grateful I get to be able to do the things that I love. It’s really beautiful and shout out Robert Wun for doing this for me. There’s a butterfly on the hat and I don’t know if you can see it, but there’s a butterfly on the umbrella too. It has to do with the Open that I won in 2021, which I guess is a long time ago.”

Fashion has long been Naomi’s creative playground at Grand Slams. In 2021, she sported a sharp charcoal-black Nike catsuit with a neon-orange skirt and Louis Vuitton jewelry for that champion glow. Her 2025 sunflower outfit brought Haitian art to life with bright sunflower details across her black tank, gray skirt, and fun accessories.

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And in Paris that same year, she channeled Sailor Moon magic in a baby-pink halter minidress with ruffles, maroon accents, and space buns topped with pink-striped flower clips. Her previous Sakura-inspired kits also celebrated Japan’s spring in soft, floral tones.

After a dazzling first-round performance at the Australian Open, Naomi Osaka now sets her sights on Sorana Cîrstea in round two. Can she overcome the experienced Romanian and continue her deep run in Melbourne? We’d love to hear your thoughts!