Overview
- Katie Boulter defeated Himeno Sakatsume in a rain-delayed first-round match, completing a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
- Rain forced the match to be played a day later and Boulter said the postponement left her in a "tough spot" that required a mental reset before finishing the win.
- Boulter is ranked world No. 58 and entered Osaka as the tournament’s eighth seed, leaving her among the highest-ranked players in her section.
- Several early upsets removed higher seeds from her portion of the draw, including the elimination of the No. 2 seed, which improved her route through the event.
- She will face Viktorija Golubic in the second round and a deep run in Osaka would give Boulter her first WTA title in Asia and a second WTA 250 of the season after Ostrava.