Naomi Osaka outlasts Sloane Stephens in 3 sets in return to Indian Wells

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Naomi Osaka made a winning return to the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday, rallying to beat Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in a first-round meeting of former major champions.

Trailing 2-0 in the third set, Osaka fought off three break points to hold and begin a run of six straight games to close out the match in just under two hours. She broke Stephens three times in the set, including at love in the sixth game.

"That was a really good test for me," Osaka said.

Cold winds blowing from 20 to 30 mph sent debris swirling around the court.

"I felt like I was fighting for my life. I was fighting against her, I was fighting against the wind. It was crazy," Osaka said. "I'm really proud with how I handled it."

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Naomi Osaka, of Japan, right, shakes hands with Sloane Stephens after defeating her at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Osaka, the 2018 winner at Indian Wells, is back in the desert for the first time since 2019. The Japanese star hasn’t played a tournament since January when she lost in the round of 32 at the Australian Open. Only having played a handful of events last year, her ranking has dropped to 78th in the world.

"I keep taking these long breaks," she said. "I do need to play a lot more matches and I do need to give myself the opportunity to get more into the swing of things."

Osaka has said she has faced bouts of depression since winning the U.S. Open in 2018. The four-time major champion withdrew from the French Open last year to preserve her mental health.

Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open winner, lost for