Lucia Bronzetti achieved a significant milestone on Tuesday at the Mutua Madrid Open, securing her first-ever victory against former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka. In their third career meeting, the Italian triumphed in the first round of the clay-court WTA 1000 event with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Ranked No. 59, Bronzetti had previously lost both encounters with Osaka, including a tight three-set match at Roland Garros last spring. However, she emerged victorious after a 2-hour and 21-minute battle in Madrid, advancing to the second round for the second consecutive year.
This win marks Bronzetti`s fourth career success against a former World No. 1 player, remarkably with three of these victories occurring in 2024. She famously defeated Simona Halep in the Romanian`s final professional match at her home tournament in Cluj-Napoca and also overcame two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka earlier this year in January.
Both players entered the tournament in search of improved form. Bronzetti was on a three-match losing streak, including a surprising loss to a much lower-ranked player the previous week in Rouen. Osaka was competing for the first time in nearly a month, following her fourth-round exit at the Miami Open.
Osaka displayed strong serving in the early stages of the match. However, the crucial breakthrough in the opening set came for Bronzetti at 3-3, as she won three consecutive points by capitalizing on unforced errors from Osaka.
Looking ahead, Bronzetti is set to face the fifth seed, Madison Keys, who recently won the Australian Open. Bronzetti will aim to overcome historical trends in this upcoming match, as she currently holds an 0-8 career record against players ranked in the Top 10 and is 0-2 in head-to-head matches against Keys.
