Naomi Osaka's first win at the US Open since 2021 left her emotional, and she could not hold back the tears after overcoming Jelena Ostapenko at Flushing Meadows.
Fans have been excited about Osaka returning to the US Open since she made her comeback at the start of the year. Many felt it was her best chance of winning a Grand Slam, and the preceding months were about regaining match sharpness ahead of the year's final major.
Osaka kept herself busy off the court during her time away. Despite not playing much tennis in the last 12 months, she was still among the ten highest-paid players, which shows her popularity.
There were doubts about the Japanese star before the US Open. She lost in the early rounds of the Canadian and Cincinnati Open and opened up afterward about not feeling like she had control of her body on the court.
However, Osaka surprised many with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory against Ostapenko. She served particularly well throughout the contest, not being broken once and only facing two break points.
The four-time Grand Slam champion spoke about the impact the packed crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium had on her win, especially when she became stressed during periods when Ostapenko hit some good shots.
"It was stressful. She was hitting some really good shots. I told myself keep going for every point and maybe you’ll have an opportunity. Eventually I did. The. I looked up and saw so many faces. So I was like woah."
Osaka detailed how she was close to tears just walking out onto the court. She remembered watching Coco Gauff's run to the title last year and not knowing whether she would be able to play in New York again.
"I was trying not to cry when I walked out. Last year I watched coco play and I so badly wanted to step on these courts again. I don’t know if I could. I don’t know if athletically physically if I was able to. Just to win this match and to be in this atmosphere means so much to me. So thank you."
The 26-year-old also humorously commented about her daughter Shai in the interview. Osaka revealed she had to hold her during the night because she did not want to sleep, admitting it was not ideal timing before her US Open match.
"At night my daughter didn’t wanna go to sleep at her bedtime so I had to hold her for a while. I was like ‘oh wow she picked the perfect day to not go to sleep.’ Moments like that are so precious to me. I can only hope I keep having more."
The two-time US Open champion did the interview after bursting into tears after the match. Her emotion was entirely understandable after so long without a victory at Flushing Meadows, and she needed to compose herself before the interview.
It may only have been the first round, but Osaka could go far at the event if she replicates her level against Ostapenko, who she blew off the court.
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