by If Naomi Osaka wants to return to the tennis elite, the US Open is the perfect place to do it.
The two-time US Open champion beat No. 10 seed Jeļena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 in the first round on Tuesday, marking her first win over a top-10 opponent in four years. Osaka’s most recent victory came against Kiki Bertans at the 2020 Brisbane International.
Osaka, 26, was visibly emotional after the match:
Osaka displayed the form of her era, dominating Ostapenko in a manner that should be familiar to anyone who has watched Osaka win Grand Slam titles. It all started with a dominant serve, as she won 24 of the first 30 serves with nine aces and no double faults.
Dressed in a neon green Tinkerbell-style outfit, Osaka committed only five unforced errors in two sets, compared to 21 for Ostapenko, and did not miss a single break point.
From the US Open:
“[Ostapenko] “I hit some really good shots and I thought, ‘Keep going, keep going and keep fighting for every point, and maybe you’ll get an opportunity.’ Eventually, I got the opportunity.”
Osaka will face another former top-10 player, Karolína Muchová, whose 2024 season has been disrupted by a wrist injury. A win on Thursday would give Osaka her first Grand Slam third-round appearance since the 2022 Australian Open.
Osaka has not reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament since winning the 2021 Australian Open, which is a very long time in tennis. A few months after winning that 2021 Australian Open, Osaka put her career on hold, citing mental health issues, amid controversy over her refusal to speak to the media at Roland Garros. She struggled to regain her form upon her return and took another break after being upset at the US Open.
The 2022 season wasn’t much better for Osaka, who struggled with injuries and consistency issues, then took a break for the entire 2023 season after announcing she was pregnant. Now she’s back in 2024.
After losing in the first round of the Australian Open this year, Osaka gave world number one Iga Swiatek a scare at Roland Garros, pushing the eventual champion to match point. In total, she has won 18 and lost 15 times and no titles this year.
