January 14, 2026, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: NAOMI OSAKA of Japan during practise session before Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne Australia - ZUMAc278 20260114_zsp_c278_002 Copyright: xMarcinxCholewinskix ©IMAGO/ZUMA Press WireSupriyo SarkarWed, January 14, 2026 at 12:34 PM UTC·4 min read

Amateur Jordan Smith arrived hoping to win a single point and left with A$1 million and bragging rights over Jannik Sinner after conquering the Australian Open’s Million Dollar One Point Slam. The bold format lets amateurs gamble everything on one point against elite players and celebrities. Adding theatre to the spectacle, Australian comedian Andy Lee grabbed headlines as his trash talk with Naomi Osaka visibly stunned the former four-time Grand Slam champion.

The incident occurred when only 23 players remained in the queue, and Naomi Osaka stepped onto the court to face Andy Lee. Before the serve, Lee was asked how he felt about playing the former two-time Australian Open champion. He responded with humor, saying, “I don’t want to intimidate Naomi, but you have lost a lot more points here than I have,” leaving Osaka stunned and gasping in shock.

Osaka quickly fired back with a smile. She adjusted her stance and replied, “You know what? Just get on the court.”

However, the cheeky jab did not work in Andy Lee’s favor. He double-faulted and failed to land a clean serve, allowing Naomi Osaka to move through the round. The moment quickly flipped from humor to result, with Osaka advancing without needing to respond further.

The comment, though playful, was not entirely unfounded. Despite winning two Australian Open titles in 2019 and 2021, Osaka holds a 26–7 win-loss record at the tournament. Her history in Melbourne has been strong, but not without interruptions and early exits.

Osaka first reached the third round of the Australian Open in 2016. She later returned to the same stage on three more occasions. She has also exited in the second round once and reached the fourth round once, showing mixed results outside her title runs.

A major setback came in 2024. Osaka suffered a first-round loss to Caroline Garcia, 4-6, 6-7 (2). It was her return match after a 15-month absence from the tour due to maternity leave, making the defeat a difficult moment in her comeback.

Now, Osaka turns her focus to the main draw. After withdrawing from the Auckland event and debuting at the United Cup, she enters the AO seeking redemption.

Following a strong finish to the 2025 season, she will aim to reassert herself on a familiar stage.

The AO will mark five years since Naomi Osaka last won a Grand Slam title. Since that victory in Melbourne, her results at majors have been limited. By last summer, she had not moved past the third round of any Grand Slam since that championship run.

Then the US Open changed the narrative. Osaka’s performance in New York showed her resurgence is more than a feel-good story. She looked like a genuine Slam contender again and reminded the tennis world of her top-level capabilities.

Osaka produced a throwback run at Flushing Meadows. She defeated former champion Coco Gauff and two-time semifinalist Karolina Muchova on her way to the semifinals. Her run ended with a narrow loss to Amanda Anisimova, but the level she displayed was encouraging.

That US Open showing followed another strong result. Osaka reached the final in Montreal, where she upset four seeded players. Those back-to-back performances helped push her ranking upward and signaled a return to form.

She is now on track to re-enter the Top 10, a place she occupied for much of the early part of her career. The first half of the season presents an opportunity to gain ground. In 2025, before Montreal, she reached only one final in Auckland, aside from her title at the WTA 125 Saint-Malo.

More ranking points will need defending later in North America. Still, a strong start could see her knocking on the door of the Top 10, if not firmly inside it. Momentum is clearly on her side.

At 28 years old, Osaka appears ready for a strong second chapter after becoming a mother. As the Australian Open approaches, the question is whether the former champion can rise again and remind the world of her dominance on hard courts.

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