PA Media/DPA
Melbourne
Naomi Osaka admitted she is struggling to focus on tennis amid the wildfires in California that are threatening her home.
Osaka managed to reverse the result from last year’s first-round Australian Open match with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Caroline Garcia.
But afterwards she revealed the fires that have devastated parts of the Los Angeles region came within three blocks of her house and she sent someone over to retrieve her young daughter’s birth certificate.
“I don’t think I’ve been doing the greatest keeping focus, but obviously I won so I think it’s an acceptable job,” she said.
“It is really difficult for me. I think it’s tougher now because I find my home is more of a home because I have memories with my daughter. There’s so many things, keepsakes and stuff like that.
Obviously you can’t hoard them all when you’re asking them to go to your house and just grab stuff.
“So it is really tough in that sense. I’m not there, so I don’t know how bad it is or how bad it’s going to get. But I think the biggest thing that I am grateful for is that everyone in my family is safe.
“I’ll check the wildfire map any chance that I get just to see what’s happening. I don’t think I’ll go back to LA immediately after. I don’t feel like it’s safe enough to go back there. It’s kind of a little bit in a limbo, but also motivating me to hopefully stay here as long as I can.”
Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek both used their first-round victories at the Australian Open to send messages of support.
American Gauff wrote “Stay strong LA. Thank you firefighters” on the camera lens after her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sofia Kenin, while Swiatek put “Sending my love to Malibu and LA”.
Gauff is the leading American hope in the tournament and her victory over compatriot and former Australian Open champion Kenin made it 10 wins in a row, taking in titles at the WTA Finals and the United Cup.
The third seed, who next faces Britain’s Jodie Burrage, hopes the win can herald a positive tournament for her.
“When I saw the draw, I was like, ‘It’s not a great first round’,” said Gauff, who lost to Kenin in the first round at Wimbledon two years ago.
“She’s one of those people that she can play great tennis. She’s obviously won this tournament before, but I just think of the positives of, if you get through that, then you have set the tone for having a high level throughout the tournament.”
