The disappointment came just four days after Osaka left the nation teary-eyed by running up a Mount Fuji-like set at the National Stadium and lighting the Olympic cauldron with her torch to open the Olympics.
The second-ranked Osaka, who was born in Japan and grew up in the United States, struggled with her usually reliable groundstrokes.
The host country’s superstar stepped up her game when she needed to in a 6-3, 6-2 win over 49th-ranked Viktorija Golubic.
Osaka hadn't played since she withdrew from the French Open in May to take a mental health break, revealing that she has dealt with depression. She then sat out Wimbledon.
The four-time Grand Slam winner lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.
The cauldron sat atop a peak inspired by Mount Fuji. It’s a sphere that opened like a flower, “to embody vitality and hope,” organizers said.
The other men's tennis stars to be seen in Tokyo include two-time Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray of Great Britain, Germany's Alexander Zverev and Argentina's Diego Schwartzman.
In interviews during last two majors current and former players said they think their sport might be particularly prone to issues such as stress, anxiety and depression.
Osaka will return to competition at the Tokyo Olympics, which open July 23, and where she will represent her native Japan.
She's the highest-earning female athlete in the world, a tennis superstar and represents Japan, making her a strong medal contender for the host country.
Federer said last weekend he would wait until after Wimbledon ends on July 11 to decide whether he will head to Japan.
Osaka, a 23-year-old who was born in Japan, withdrew from the French Open after the first round, saying she needed a mental health break.
Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros after she was fined USD 15,000 for skipping the postmatch news conference.
Tournament organisers said on Monday that Naomi, who had withdrawn exactly a week ago from Roland Garros, had informed them that she would not start in the Berlin tournament.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka put a renewed focus on mental health when she pulled out of the French Open on Monday and cited difficulties in dealing with "huge waves of anxiety."
Osaka, who also acknowledged suffering “long bouts of depression,” received criticism by some who say the media events are just “ part of the job. "
Speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton was critical of the French Open organizers.
Other athletes, notably Olympian Michael Phelps, spoke candidly about mental-health issues before but none of them sparked a conversation this wide.
Osaka had decided to boycott press conferences during the ongoing Grand Slam - a move that had drawn flak - as he felt that the nature of questioning was often damaging to her mental health.
The pledge came in a statement signed by the same four tennis administrators who threatened the possibility of disqualification or suspension for Osaka on Sunday if she continued to skip news conferences.
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