Naomi Osaka, a favorite for the gold on home soil, booked her spot in the third round this Monday, while Novak Djokovic remains focused on his quest to secure the elusive Golden Slam, a feat no male player has ever accomplished.
Japanese gold medal favorite Naomi Osaka sealed her place in the third round of the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, while the Serbian men’s player Novak Djokovic remained stable on his hunt to become the first-ever male player to achieve the Golden Slam.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Viktorija Golubic. Despite Golubic's reputation as a strong contender in the women's singles, Osaka proved too strong. After taking a break from the French Open to focus on her mental well-being, Osaka's return to the Olympic stage has been nothing short of impressive.
Osaka's dominance was evident as she dispatched Golubic in straight sets in roughly an hour. Although she took a moment to settle into the match, once she found her flow, she was completely in control. Golubic tried to keep up early on, but the sheer intensity of Osaka's game eventually broke her resistance.
In her opening match of the Tokyo Games, Osaka displayed total control in a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Zheng Saisai of China. Currently, Osaka is the only top seed left in the competition, following the surprising first-round exit of Wimbledon champion Ash Barty, who was defeated by Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo.
World number one Novak Djokovic is one step closer to the Golden Slam after defeating Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3. With this victory, Djokovic moves into the third round and extends his incredible winning streak to 67 consecutive matches.
The match began as a tight contest with both players trading points in the opening set. However, the 20-time Grand Slam winner eventually took over, using his aggression to break through Struff's serve and secure a 5-3 lead. Djokovic maintained this momentum into the second set, securing an early break to close out the match. His serving was a highlight, recording 14 aces, 11 of which came in the first set, including a final ace to win the match.
Djokovic's journey in Tokyo started with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Hugo Dellien of Bolivia, a match that lasted just over an hour. Now representing Serbia for the fourth time, Djokovic is still chasing his first Olympic gold. His previous Olympic record includes a bronze from the 2008 Beijing Games and disappointing first-round exits in both London 2012 and Rio 2016 at the hands of Juan Martin del Potro.