When Naomi Osaka She left Rod Laver Arena with Australian Open trophy of 2021, no one could think she would take more than four years for her to reach another clash in the second week. But here she is, in the 16th round in the US Open, and she feels like a milestone worth enjoying.
The big champion has traveled a long way to get here four times. Motherhood changed her life when she welcomed her daughter Shai in July 2023. Her return was gradual – sometimes even disappointing – but this summer, the tide has come back clearly. With new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, former coach of Agnieszka Radwanska and IgA Swiate, Osaka has found clarity. A finalist in Montreal earlier this month, she made that confidence in New York.
“I think honestly after I’m back. I’ve loved everything to happen really soon,” Osaka admitted. “But after Wimbledon, I just stopped thinking about results and tried to focus on every match in myself. I did well in Montreal, and now we’re here. I’m just happy about it.”
Osaka’s journey has always been connected to the US Open. Six years ago, she produced one of the most memorable moments of the stadium when defeating a then Coco Gauff and handed over to the germ so that fans could hear from it.
It was an emotional moment that immediately went viral, and forever falsified a link between the two stars.
“I remember just knowing that she would be a truly excellent tennis player for whom I was right,” Osaka said. “Now play it again after six years, for me, it feels a special kind.”
The pair have met five times in total, with Gauff holding the 3-2 edge. Last year they met in Beijing, with Osaka playing well and winning the opening set before retired after the second due to injury.
“Really sorry because I felt like I was playing well,” Osaka said. “I am honestly excited to play now because I feel healthy and I just want to see what happens.”
From disappointment to fulfillment, Osaka is reminding the world that her story still has many next chapters.
