New York—Naomi Osaka’s Grand Slam journey at the US Open came to an abrupt end on Thursday night as the four-time major champion fell to the talented Czech, Karolina Muchova, in the second round at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After securing her first Top-10 victory in over four years against Jelena Ostapenko in the first round, Osaka struggled to maintain that momentum and was defeated 6-3, 7-6 by Muchova. The loss leaves Osaka with a 3-4 record for this year’s Grand Slam season.
Osaka, who returned to the tour this season after maternity leave, expressed her deep disappointment after the match. “It’s a little rough because I do take these losses really personally,” she admitted. “It’s like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose. It sucks a lot, but I’ve been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them.”
The 26-year-old had three set points in the second set, serving at 5-4, 40-0, but nerves got the better of her, leading to some uncharacteristically loose play. “I think during the pressure moments I got nervous, and I don’t know if I just have to keep playing more matches and get used to that feeling, especially on a really big stage,” Osaka reflected. “Honestly, if I get past the disappointment, I feel pretty proud of myself to have gotten that many opportunities while still feeling like I could have played much better.”
Despite the loss, Osaka has made significant progress in her comeback, climbing from outside the Top 800 to a current ranking of 85. “Honestly, I feel like I’m coming back from pregnancy, but also it wasn’t like in 2022 I was the best version of myself. So in some way, I had to catch up to that, and then also I’m trying to pass it at the same time,” she said. “It’s been a little difficult because I can only gauge how I’m doing by results. I feel faster, I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it’s a little rough.”
Osaka remains hopeful, despite the frustrations of her slower-than-expected return to form. “Still in my brain, I think that I can win these tournaments,” she said. “I feel like eventually it will all piece itself together. It might not be on the timeline that I want it to be, but I think it will come eventually.”
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