Can the two-time champ continue her ascent in Melbourne?
Over a decade after their first meeting on the WTA Tour, Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cirstea will square off in the Australian Open 2026 Round of 64. The Japanese starlet walked onto Rod Laver Arena with a stunning look in her opener, and will be looking to prolong her journey at one of her most successful tournaments. But with Cirstea being a two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist and former World No. 21, this is not a comfortable match-up by any stretch of imagination.
Osaka beat a resilient Antonia Ruzic 6-3 3-6 6-4 in Round-1. She is a former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion. Having won this tournament in 2019 and 2021, Osaka has a chance of springing some surprises this week. The 28-year-old entered with a 1-1 record at the United Cup. For someone like Cirstea to overcome the 16th seed, the Romanian will need to punch above her World No. 41 ranking. However, she reached the pre-quarters in Brisbane and produced a scintillating comeback vs Eva Lys here in Melbourne.
Asked all the questions and found all the answers.
According to the tennis betting odds, Naomi Osaka has pre-match odds of -190 on BetMGM. Meanwhile, Sorana Cirstea is playing catch up at +150 on the BetMGM moneyline. Here’s how we are betting on Naomi Osaka vs Sorana Cirstea in this Australian Open 2026 Round of 64, including our best bets, supporting odds and a set-score prop for bigger prices.
Tournament & Round: Australian Open 2026, Round of 64
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Given below are the latest odds for Naomi Osaka vs Sorana Cirstea from the top sportsbooks. We are looking at the match money line, game handicap and total games, plus some set betting markets where available.
When we look at the first round matches of both players, Osaka and Cirstea used their regular templates. They unleashed some bullish groundstrokes from behind the baseline and choked their opposition by making the court smaller than it actually is. On the defensive side, Osaka looked much sharper than usual. If she can cut down on the unforced errors from her backhand wing, a straight sets victory could be on the cards.
The match-up proves unfavorable for Cirstea purely due to Osaka’s comfort from the back of the court. She will need to draw the World No. 17 forward to keep her off balance and change momentum. Keep an eye on the first serve percentage statistics, as Osaka might run away with it on Margaret Court Arena if she kicks into fifth gear.
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Naomi Osaka Recent Form
United Cup 2026: Round Robin
Japan Open 2025: Quarterfinal
Wuhan Open 2025: Round of 32
China Open 2025: Round of 64
US Open 2025: Semifinal
Sorana Cirstea Recent Form
Adelaide International 2026: Round of 32
Brisbane International 2026: Round of 16
Hong Kong Tennis Open 2025: Quarterfinal
Japan Open 2025: Semifinal
Wuhan Open 2025: Round of 32
Naomi Osaka vs Sorana Cirstea Head to Head Record
Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cirstea played one match back in 2015. It took place in the qualifying event at the iconic Wimbledon Championships. Cirstea dropped the first set before pipping Osaka in three tight sets.
Event
Round
Winner
Score
2015 Wimbledon
Qualifying
Sorana Cirstea
2-6 6-1 6-4
How to Watch Naomi Osaka vs Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open 2026?
The Australian Open 2026 can be viewed live on a variety of streaming platforms and TV channels across the world. This includes Tennis Channel, Stan Sport, ESPN International, TSN, beIN Sports, SuperSport, Canal+, Sony Sports, Eurosport and TNT Sports – depending on where you are watching from.
Date
January 22, 2026
Time
19:00 Local
Tournament
Australian Open 2026, Round of 64
Surface
Outdoor Hard Court
Court
Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
TV/Streaming
Tennis Channel, Stan Sport, ESPN International, TSN, beIN Sports, SuperSport, Canal+, Sony Sports, Eurosport, TNT Sports
A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.
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