Osaka loses to Bronzetti in first round at Madrid Open

Japan’s Naomi Osaka made a disapppointing start to her clay court season as she was beaten 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 by Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in the first round of the Madrid Open on Tuesday.

The former world No 1 hit back well after losing the first set but was second best in the decider as Bronzetti advanced to a meeting with No 5 seed Madison Keys.

The Italian has now beaten three former world No 1s in 2025.

Bronzetti gains revenge for Roland-Garros loss

Osaka had edged out Bronzetti in the first round at Roland-Garros last year and had expressed her growing confidence on the surface and in her physical condition, on the eve of the event.

But Bronzetti began the stronger as she took the first set, before Osaka found her game in the second, storming clear to level the match.

The momentum was with Osaka going into the third but Bronzetti broke immediately on her way to a 2-0 lead and though Osaka broke back for 3-3, she was broken again in the following game and Bronzetti held on for victory.

Madrid WTA 1000, other first-round results (Caja Mágica, clay, EUR 7.854.000, most recent results first):

• Anastasija Sevastova vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
• Katie Volynets vs. Petra Kvitova
• Xinyu Wang vs. Maria Sakkari
• Jaqueline Cristian vs. Sonay Kartal
• McCartney Kessler vs. Bianca Andreescu
• Alycia Parks vs. Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva
• Victoria Azarenka vs. Olga Danilovic
• Moyuka Uchijima vs. Robin Montgomery
• Ashlyn Krueger vs. Anastasia Potapova
• Suzan Lamens vs. Emma Raducanu
• Veronika Kudermetova vs. Polina Kudermetova
• Peyton Stearns vs. Kimberly Birrell
• Emiliana Arango vs. Camila Osorio
• Lulu Sun vs. Varvara Gracheva
• Katie Boulter vs. Katerina Siniakova
• Sorana Cirstea vs. Hailey Baptiste
• Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs. Mayar Sherif
• Renata Zarazua vs. Marie Bouzkova: tuesday
• Alexandra Eala (WC) beat Viktoriya Tomova: 6-3, 6-2
• Caroline Dolehide beat Elina Avanesyan: 6-4, 6-4