Naomi Osaka didn't only amaze with her 2024 US Open outfit but also with her play in New York, and she's proud of it even though she didn't go too far in the draw.
Osaka didn't get a good draw in New York, which is a shame because she played really well. She could have gone deep into the event if she had only gotten a better draw. Draw similar to that of Caroline Wozniacki would have probably seen her in the second week of the event, but she was out after only two matches.
In the first round, Osaka had to face Jelena Ostapenko, which was an extremely tough draw; however, she was able to win that match with some super impressive play. Things didn't get any easier, unfortunately, as her next opponent was Karolina Muchova, who, at her best, is a Top-10 player on the WTA Tour.
The Czech player found her best tennis in New York, which proved to be a bit too much for Osaka. She still had chances to swing the match to her side but wasn't sharp enough with those opportunities.
Overall, it was still the best we've seen her play in weeks, and that was a very positive sign. Osaka herself seems to agree with that because she posted an update on Instagram after the US Open, in which she admitted that initially, she did feel disappointed but eventually realized that she's really proud of herself.
"Honestly, I had typed out a whole caption about how I’m disappointed with myself, etc, but I’ve been sitting here playing with my daughter, and I realized that I couldn’t be more proud of myself."
"I gave birth to such an amazing human and I played the US Open? A win is a win. Sure, it didn’t work out this time, but I have faith it will eventually. Thank you, NY. See you next time."
While the message doesn't directly address her tennis, it shows her in a good headspace, even with the struggles. The overall positive tone of the message is great because she's had some problems with motivation in the past.
Since returning to the sport, Osaka has seemed quite a bit more motivated than in the past, and she's backed it up on the court. Time will tell whether it will truly work out for her, but there are a couple of events to be played this year.
She's likely to head to Tokyo for the Japan Open in a few weeks, and that could be a positive experience for her. She spent a lot of time in Japan during her pregnancy, so it's clear that the country holds a special place in her heart despite not having grown up there.
Other than that, it's just sticking with the process and believing in herself for the former World No. 1 player. She's done that so far, and eventually, it should work out. She's too talented for things not to work out, and this run proved that.
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