Collins defeats Osaka to contend with Rybakina in round two

Danielle Collins defeated wild card and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka in two straight sets 7-5, 6-0 at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open first round on Tuesday.

The result was the 30-year-old American and former World No. 7’s first main-draw victory in her second appearance in Abu Dhabi.

However, the game was Osaka a four-time Grand Slam champion public meeting since her maternity leave.

“I knew what to expect against Naomi. I know she’s been out for a little while and is just coming back, but I had to lean into my tactics and rely on that: mixing the targets well, going through the visualizations that we do as athletes. This is one of the better matches I’ve served this year, which I’ve been working on.

“I still feel like I’m in good form, even though this is my last year. I needed an end date — I’ve enjoyed my time on tour and had some amazing experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. But right now, it’s not over yet. I’m still competing and battling and working at it, and I still have some goals I want to accomplish.”

Collins, a former Australian Open runner-up, announced this will be her final season on tour after falling to Iga Swiatek in the second round of Melbourne this year.

Danielle Collins will now move on to face No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina who holds a 2-1 head-to-head record between the pair in the second round.

Elsewhere, former Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette notched her second victory of 2024, advancing 7-6(4), 6-1 over Filipina wild card Alexandra Eala in 1 hour and 51 minutes. Eala, 18, falls to 1-9 in WTA main draws since making her debut at Cluj-Napoca 2021.