Naomi Osaka's next tournament is at the Cincinnati Open after exiting from the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, but she came close to not making it because an airline lost her bags.
Hopes were high before Osaka's first tournament of the North American hardcourt swing in Toronto. This is usually a time of the year when the Japanese star thrives, as evidenced by her two US Open titles.
She made a great start against Ons Jabeur in the opening round. Osaka demolished the Tunisian 6-3, 6-1, with her return game being imposing against the two-time Wimbledon runner-up.
Unfortunately for her fans, Osaka's level dropped significantly against Elise Mertens in the round of 32. She fell 3-6, 4-6 to the Belgian after a display that was filled with errors from start to finish.
There is no need for Osaka and her fans to panic after that defeat. She still has a chance to find some consistent form at next week's Cincinnati Open. She reached the final in 2020 before going on to win the US Open a few weeks later.
Osaka was probably hoping to have a few days to relax after her loss to Mertens, including flying over to Cincinnati in a low-key manner without any issues. However, the journey was more stressful than the 26-year-old envisaged.
The four-time Grand Slam champion posted about the situation on the social media platform X. She said United Airlines lost her bags, and she would not be able to compete at the Cincinnati Open if they did not arrive the following day.
"lol @united lost my bags and if I don’t get them tonight or tomorrow I literally can’t play Cinncinati."
Bags going missing while traveling is a frustrating situation for anyone. However, it is especially problematic for athletes who must sign in and be ready for tournaments by a specified date.
Fortunately, the situation was resolved. About 14 hours later, Osaka updated her followers on X that she received her bags, ending the ordeal.
"update: I received my bags"
Hopefully, that situation did not disrupt Osaka's preparations too much. If she finds her best level, which can be utterly devastating on hard courts, Osaka is undoubtedly capable of a deep run at the Cincinnati Open.
Although hard courts are Osaka's favorite surface, she gained some confidence on clay this year after coming so close to beating Iga Swiatek at the French Open. The Pole is the best clay court player in the world, and almost beating her was an incredible effort from Osaka.
Interestingly, Osaka admits she tries to copy parts of Swiatek's game. That is a great attitude to have. Osaka is a superb player in her own right, but she recognizes the current world No. 1 does some parts of the game better than her.
Osaka will try to put some of the things she has learned from Swiatek into practice next week at the Cincinnati Open, which will have a strong entry list with some players making their first appearances since the Olympics.
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