Caroline Garcia vs Naomi Osaka Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 14/01/2024, 08:28  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 14/01/2024 at 21:45 in Tennis Predictions

Naomi Osaka is back at the Australian Open and will begin her campaign against 16th seed Caroline Garcia. The two will battle in the first round with the winner going on to square off with either Magdalena Frech or Daria Saville. Caroline Garcia equaled her best-ever finish in Melbourne last season as she made it to the fourth round. It was the eighth time in 12 appearances here that she had advanced past the first round. The Frenchwoman will be eager to go even beyond this time around and winning against a former champion will be perfect motivation. Garcia has won four of the six matches she has played so far this year. She is coming off a second-round elimination in Adelaide. The 30-year-old is up one place to 19th in the live ranking.

Naomi Osaka is a two-time Australian Open champion. She will be hoping for another deep run in her return to the major. Osaka missed the entire 2023 campaign after giving birth to her first child and made a return to the tour this year. She started things off in Brisbane where after winning her first-round tie, was eliminated in the second round. Osaka hasn’t looked to have lost that much of a step. In her last match, she battled for more than two hours against Karolina Pliskova. Being away from the tour has seen the former world number one tumble down the world rankings. She is currently ranked outside the top 800. Osaka has never lost a first-round match in Melbourne. She defeated Garcia in the second round here in 2021 which stands to be their only other previous encounter.