Naomi Osaka Cries After Returning to US Open

Jakarta, Todaysgist.com – Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka returned to the New York tournament with great emotion after defeating Latvia’s 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 in a match that took place on Tuesday local time or Wednesday (28/8/2024) WIB.

Osaka, who missed last year’s US Open to give birth to her daughter Shai, is now looking to return to professional tennis with full force. The former world number one put in an impressive performance, hitting 19 winnerending the match in just 63 minutes.

Osaka enters court wearing a skirt tulle a puffy top and ribbon-embellished jacket, before changing into a frilly green outfit that she said was a nod to Japanese culture and Harajuku.

Despite her cheerful appearance, Osaka couldn’t hide the emotions she felt.

“I was trying so hard not to cry as I walked onto the court,” Osaka said with tears in her eyes during an interview on court after the match, as reported by AFPWednesday (28/8/2024).

“Last year, I could only watch Coco (Gauff) play and was really looking forward to getting back on this court.”

“I wasn’t sure if I would be able to come back. So to win this match and feel this atmosphere means a lot to me,” said the 26-year-old.

The win was Osaka’s first against a top 10 player in four years. Although she has reached two quarterfinals on tour in 2024, Osaka has yet to make it past the second round at a major.

According to Osaka, no other tournament gives her the same excitement as the US Open.

Osaka added that it was a combination of a lot of different things. She said seeing the kids in the audience at the tournament reminded her of her daughter. That’s what made her so emotional.

“Seeing the stadium packed, it means a lot to me, because I hope people come to watch me play,” he said.

Ostapenko was a tough opponent in the first round for Osaka, who is now ranked 88th in the world and earned wildcard to participate in this tournament.

Despite feeling stressed at the start of the match, Osaka admitted that facing top players actually made her feel more free.

He had time to hold back match point against Iga Swiatek before eventually losing to the world number one at the French Open.

“I don’t know if it was motivation or because I felt like I had no choice but to play well, so it took away all the expectations and pressure that I put on myself. I knew that no matter what the outcome was, tennis was going to be great tennis, whether I won or lost,” Osaka said.

Next, Osaka will face Czech tennis player Karolina Muchova.