For a second consecutive match at the US Open, Naomi Osaka appeared to be cruising. Everything was in hand as the two-time champion established a set and a break lead in her round two match against Katerina Siniakova, an uneventful return to the third round beckoning.
Instead of carrying that great momentum forward until the end, though, Osaka was overcome by tension in the final stages of the second set and she soon found herself in a decider. It took a significant amount of resilience and restraint for her to reset and find a way through to the third round with a comprehensive final set to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.
Before the North American hard-court swing, a period that yielded US Open titles in 2018 and 2020, Osaka finally looked like a grand slam contender again. After years of struggling through the clay- and grass-court seasons, seemingly just waiting for the hard courts to return, this year Osaka produced career-best showings on those surfaces to the fourth round at the French Open and quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Her level on grass at Wimbledon, a surface she has toiled on for much of her career, was particularly impressive as she defeated the world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in round four. Osaka ran out of steam in the quarter-finals, fatigue seeping in after she reached the Bad Homburg final a week earlier, but it was some of the best tennis she had played since winning her last grand slam title at the Australian Open in 2021. She headed back to North America full of confidence.
Elevated expectations can naturally lead to greater pressure and Osaka’s first two wins in New York this year are perhaps a reflection of the additional weight on her shoulders. In her 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) first-round win over Anastasia Zakharova, a nervous Osaka squandered a break in both sets before barely dragging herself over the line in two tie-breaks. This time her nerves cost her a set. The most important thing about the early stages of the grand slam tournaments for the top players, though, is simply finding a way to win and offering themselves an opportunity to unleash their top form in later rounds.
“I’m quite fortunate to have a lot of high-quality matches that went in my favour,” said Osaka. “Especially whenever I think of going into the third set and I need to regroup, I literally only specifically think of the [2019] Australian Open Final [a three-set win against Petra Kvitova]. Then it’s just like you can just pull from your memory bank for every certain situation that you need to get finished.
“I think that’s the best thing about being a more experienced player. You’ve been able to play so many different matches in different situations. Here, obviously, I’ve had a lot of good memories, and I hope to continue making them.”
It is increasingly difficult to speak only of tennis when discussing Osaka. At the same time that her overall form has improved, every grand slam appearance this year has featured dramatic walk-on outfits and match kit reveals that have generated their own headlines. Her outfits at the US Open this year are a homage to Allen Iverson, the former basketball player. Her elaborate outfit choices, and the discussion around them, have often been the source of conversation and also ample scorn.
For such a reserved and inoffensive person, Osaka’s mere existence seems to enrage some of her detractors. Some describe her as an attention seeker who should focus only on her tennis. Her mental health difficulties in 2021, when she struggled with public scrutiny, are often referenced as hypocritical considering the way her choice of attire even though she is at a completely different stage in her life half a decade on. So much of the criticism she receives is in bad faith, driven by people who will never forgive her anti-racist activism during the early 2020s.
Although Osaka has matured, growing in confidence and stature, she is introverted at heart. She believes fashion allows her a far easier avenue for her to express herself. Most of all, she is an entertainer who runs around a court and hits tennis balls for the pleasure of her audience. This is not a matter of life and death. Wearing elaborate dresses while playing tennis is no outrage.
Osaka has been handed one of the toughest draws of the many title contenders, with the second seed, Elena Rybakina a potential fourth-round opponent. The first objective, though, is simply making it there.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek, the eighth seed and 2022 champion, continued to build momentum in New York as she reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nadia Podoroska. British qualifier Harriet Dart was comprehensively defeated 6-2, 6-2 by the 25th seed, Marie Bouzkova. In the men’s draw, Félix Auger-Aliassime, the third seed and a semi-finalist last year, struggled with dizziness and illness as he was defeated 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 by Karen Khachanov.
