NEW YORK — She’s the only women’s player to win multiple US Open titles over the past decade, yet that last title here in 2020 seems like a lifetime ago. It’s probably why the upper stands at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday were half empty for most of her opening-round match.
For the fans, it’s all about “what have you done for me lately.” And Osaka made a statement with her fashion and her play in her opening US Open match with a straight-set win over Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4.
Don’t call it a comeback. That’s what Osaka said in her new documentary (Naomi Osaka: The Second Set streaming on Tubi), explaining that “a comeback doesn’t give you room to grow.”
Osaka says in the documentary she wants to be “a different person, a better person.” But fans watching Osaka — who at one time appeared on the verge of being one of the dominant figures in the sport — want to know if this process of reintroducing herself will allow her to be the same player she was five years ago, or a better player.
She showed signs in her opening match, where fans witnessed Osaka enter the venue in a red sequined jacket that covered her red Nike outfit, perfectly complemented by a pair of red Nike shoes.
The outfit was fire (Osaka promised to drop a video of the outfit, which she designed). Also fire was her game, as Osaka served seven aces, delivered 20 winners and won all six of her break points.
It wasn’t a perfect match, as Osaka committed 24 unforced errors, something she’ll have to clean up if she wants to make a deep run in the tournament.
“I was just very stressed,” Osaka said after the match. “It was the first round, and this tournament means a lot to me. I really wanted to win.”
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Osaka has endured hardships on the journey that steered her away from the expectations of her being a dominant force in the post-Serena Williams era.
Born to Haitian-American and Japanese parents, Osaka suffered from depression that led her to take a break from the sport. She later had a baby, which resulted in maternity leave for all of 2023. In her documentary, she vividly describes dealing with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter.
“I think it’s scary to let people see moments of your life, for sure. But I think overall I wanted moms to kind of come away from that film, or anyone in general, just feeling more positive about themselves,” Osaka said after Tuesday’s win.
She showed signs of feeling positive about her game last month in Montreal, knocking off three top 20 players in the National Bank Open before a surprising loss to Victoria Mboko in the final.
Osaka, seeded 23rd in this year’s US Open, looks to continue that momentum going into her next match on Thursday against Hailey Baptiste.
During her postmatch interview after the opening round win, Osaka described her coordination — the red outfit, red headphones, red flower-like adornments and red Labubu charm attached to the side of her bag — as her night outfit.
“I just thought it would be really fun to do a New York under the lights,” Osaka said. “I’m glad that my first match was a night match, because this outfit was really fun to play [in].”
Seeing Osaka play at a high level is, for tennis fans longing to see her return to form, fun to watch.
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