MELBOURNE, Australia — Naomi Osaka liked to think she had a universal appeal to the crowd that watched her 6-4, 6-4 win over 18th-seeded Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open on Thursday afternoon.
“Maybe it’s because they can’t really pinpoint what I am,” said Osaka, who will play the two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the third round on Saturday. “So it’s like anybody can cheer for me.”
Osaka, 18, is coached in the United States by her Haitian-born father, Leonard Francois. She spends little time in her mother’s homeland of Japan, the country she represents in the sport, but received strong support from Japanese fans as she pulled off the upset on Show Court 2.