Naomi Osaka loses Indian Wells first round to Camila Osorio

Naomi Osaka fell in her first match since the Australian Open on Wednesday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Camila Osorio in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.

Champion at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 2018, Osaka had been off the court since retiring in Melbourne due to a strained abdominal muscle but was unable to make up for lost time against Osorio, bowing out in 91 minutes on Court 1.

"It's crazy for me," Osorio saif after introducing herself to the crowd. "It's a dream come true. I really wanted to play on this court. I was really excited and looking forward to playing a champion like Naomi. So, I can't believe I won!"

Osaka was looking for a reset in 2025 after her comeback from maternity leave ended with an injury at the China Open last fall. Though she made the final of her first event of the season, she was forced to retire from the championship match at the ASB Classic against Clara Tauson.

The injury reared up again at the Australian Open, forcing her to retire in the third round against Belinda Bencic after strong wins over Caroline Garcia and No. 20 seed Karolina Muchova.

Missing the entire Middle East Swing, Osaka looked to be fully fit in time for the tournament she won to kick off her breakthrough 2018 season, but a lapse late in the first set saw her cede ground to Osorio, a former world No. 33.

"I was really enjoying the atmosphere, and I think that helped me a lot," said Osorio. "I was just trying to give a good show and I was just enjoying playing one point at a time."

The unseeded Colombian, who won her second WTA title at home in Bogota last spring, had also been off the court since the end of January when she reached the quarterfinals of a WTA 250 tournament in Singapore. After winning 12 of the first set’s final 14 points, she threatened to run away with the match when she opened the second set with another break of serve.

Osaka gamely fought back, leveling the set at one game apiece and saving a break point in the following game to increase her lead.

After trading holds of serve through the next four games, errors crept back into the Osaka game and Osorio took full advantage, claiming a second break and consolidating to find herself on the brink of victory.

The 23-year-old earned a match point thanks to a clean drop shot and a forehand slice, the latter prompting an error from Osaka. Osaka saved it with a strong first serve and threatened to even things at five games apiece. Down 0-40 as she served for the match, Osorio shook off nerves to save four break points and earn a second match point when Osaka missed a crucial return.

Crushing a forehand winner into the open court, Osorio punctuated her win with a little victory dance after just over an hour and a half on court.

"You will see later why I did the dance," Osorio teased. "I wanted to do more but I was a bit nervous!"

Osorio will next face Tauson, the No. 22 seed, for a spot in the third round. Tauson has maintained her momentum since winning the ASB Classic in Auckland, upsetting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka en route to her first WTA 1000 final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last month.