Naomi Osaka overcame Jasmine Paolini in straight sets on her return to the Pan Pacific Open after four years away.

Osaka prevailed 6-3 7-6 (7-4) after one hour and 38 minutes in their round-of-32 matchup, having been forced to save a triple set point in the second.

Roared on by a partisan crowd, Osaka won 80% of her first-serve points compared to Paolini's 65%, converting three of her four break points while saving seven of the nine she faced.

Osaka, who will take on Slovakia's Mia Pohankova in the last 16, last featured at the Tokyo event in 2022 but only played one match that year, with illness forcing her to withdraw ahead of a scheduled second-round clash with Beatriz Haddad Maia. 

And the four-time grand slam champion noted that she has become more selective with the tournaments she plays since giving birth to her daughter in 2023. 

"I think my daughter is my biggest priority, and I try my best to put as much energy as I can into tennis," Osaka said after Tuesday's win.

"If I think about it in a certain way, I'm really proud of where I am now, because it's not like I can dedicate my entire time to this sport. 

"I feel like some people would die to be in the top 20, and I'm just like, I wouldn't say part timing it, but my entire day doesn't consist of that.

"It's tough. Sometimes I look towards my future, and I often wonder how long I am going to play, because if my daughter did say she didn't want me to travel as much, I'm not the type of person to ignore that."

Poised under pressure  @naomiosaka defeats Paolini 6-3, 7-6(4) in Tokyo! #torayppo https://t.co/uVFVpWXbvf

— wta (@WTA) October 27, 2026

Earlier on Tuesday in Tokyo, Leylah Fernandez overcame Himeno Sakatsume, Ann Li went down to Ekaterina Alexandrova, while Yulia Putintseva beat Maria Sakkari to tee up a round-of-16 meeting with world number one Elena Rybakina.

Osaka makes a statement on and off the court

Osaka has made a habit of arriving on court in extravagant outfits this year, and she marked her return to her home tournament with another fashion statement.

Osaka walked out wearing a blue, patterned outfit inspired by her home country, and though she has generally saved her high-fashion looks for the grand slams in the past, she wanted to put on a show in front of a supportive home crowd. 

"I wanted to pay tribute to Japan obviously, but also for me, it felt like a homecoming because I hadn't played here in such a long time," Osaka said.

"It felt like, on the fashion side at least, I was always giving these great moments to the grand slams, and I felt like coming home, I wanted to do something special here too.

"My mom is from Hokkaido, and I felt like it was a great way to pay tribute to the crane. In Japan, animals have meaning, and I really love the meaning of the crane and what it stands for."