The Japanese athlete has faced challenges in maintaining consistency since her return to competitive tennis a year ago, following the birth of her daughter, Shai, in July 2023.
Currently ranked 57th, Osaka emphasized on Sunday that her passion for winning remains strong, and she is optimistic about reclaiming her past achievements.
Now training under the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou, the long-time coach of Serena Williams, the 27-year-old delivered a commendable performance at the Auckland Classic, defeating Israel's Lina Glushko, who is ranked 221, with a score of 6-4, 6-4.
Osaka had to exert considerable effort, as Glushko challenged her with tough rallies.
She managed to convert the only break point she faced in a closely contested first set and quickly established a 3-1 lead in the second. However, Glushko responded by winning three consecutive games before Osaka regained her composure, taking the next three games to secure the 85-minute match in windy conditions.
In the next round, she will face either Spanish qualifier Leyre Romero Gormaz or Austria's Julia Grabher.
In other matches, fellow Japanese player Nao Hibino triumphed over Germany's Jule Niemeier with a score of 6-3, 6-4, while Denmark's Clara Tauson defeated Italy's Lucrezia Stefanini 6-2, 6-3.
Top seeds Madison Keys and Elise Mertens will begin their tournaments on Tuesday, along with former Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin.