Naomi Osaka`s impressive performance at the Miami Open continued on Saturday with a win over Hailey Baptiste, a wild card entrant. Osaka won 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4. This victory marks her third match win in the tournament, equaling her personal best, and sets the stage for an exciting Round of 16 match.
For the first time this season, Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is set to compete against a Top 10 player. She will face No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini on Monday. Winning this match would be Osaka’s best result at a WTA 1000 event since her return from maternity leave 15 months ago. She reached the quarterfinals in Doha last February.
Baptiste, ranked No. 98, had a lead with a break, serving at 4-3 in the third set. However, Osaka managed to convert her third break point to level the score. Baptiste attempted a serve and volley on a second serve, but her volley went wide.
After a comfortable hold, Osaka broke Baptiste`s serve for the fifth time to win the match. The match lasted 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 57 seconds, making it the longest women’s match of the tournament and the third longest in a 2025 WTA 1000 event.
Osaka served 13 aces in the match. Together, Osaka and Baptiste hit 22 aces, the most in any women’s match at the Miami Open so far.
Paolini Advances
Earlier in the day, Jasmine Paolini also advanced to the Round of 16. Her opponent, Ons Jabeur, retired due to a left leg injury when Paolini was leading 4-3 in the first set.
Paolini expressed sympathy for Jabeur, calling her a great person and hoping for her quick recovery.
This victory was Paolini`s first against a Top 30 player after five consecutive losses. Last year was a breakthrough year for the Italian player, as she reached the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. While last year`s success was unexpected, this year she faces different expectations.
However, Paolini admitted that success in Miami still feels like a pleasant surprise. She is happy to reach the fourth round, as she had never won two matches at this tournament before.
The upcoming match against Osaka will be a significant challenge. Paolini anticipates a fast-paced match with big serves, returns, and powerful shots from Osaka. She believes she needs to be consistent and focused on every point, acknowledging that it will be difficult against Osaka`s aggressive style of play.
