-- in the second round as she looks to build some momentum for what could be a lengthy tournament run.
1 player in the world, Osaka slid down the rankings last year after taking time off following her withdrawal at the French Open.
She is seeded 13th at the Australian Open, where she won in 2019 and 2021.
After winning here last year, capturing her second Australian Open title in three years, Osaka pulled out of the 2021 French Open before the second round then sat out Wimbledon.It was Wang's first win on tour since last year's French Open, where she beat Su-Wei Hsieh in the first round before losing to Gauff in the second.Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic followed by defeating Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3, moving into a second-round match against 20-year-old American player Amanda Anisimova, who beat qualifier Arianne Hartono 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.