Naomi Osaka on crying after US Open 1R win: "Remembering I watched Coco Gauff play semis… didn't know if I was going to be able to play at this level”
Naomi Osaka was in tears after reaching the second round of the 2024 US Open. She defeated Jelena Ostapenko, the World No. 10 from Latvia, in straight sets on Tuesday, August 27. This was the Japanese player's first top-10 win in four years.
Osaka saved two break points and converted three on Ostapenko's serve to finish the first-round match at 6-3, 6-2 in a little over an hour. Also, she smashed nine aces and 19 winners to undo Ostapenko, who committed six double faults during the two sets.
The four-time Grand Slam winner shed tears after claiming the win, marking her first US Open win since the 2021 edition. She lost to Danielle Collins in the first round in 2022 and missed the tournament last year as she was on maternity break.
Osaka, the 2018 and 2020 champion of the New York Major, shared in her post-match presser the thoughts that triggered the emotional outbreak. She said (via The Tennis Letter on X):
"I mean, honestly it's like a combination of a lot of different things. I grew up here, so just seeing kids, and then remembering my daughter, but seeing kids coming and watching me play and just remembering that I was a kid, I guess a long time ago, made me very emotional."
The 26-year-old recalled attending Coco Gauff's semifinal against Karolina Muchova at the 2023 US Open and worrying about her future.
"Then also just remembering that I came and watched Coco play her semis, and I was in the audience and I didn't know if I was going to be able to play again at this level, and just to play Ostapenko who is such a great player and win that match means a lot to me," Naomi Osaka added.
Seeing the fans turning up for her match against Ostapenko on Tuesday added to Osaka's emotions as she said:
"Just seeing the stadium really full, it meant a lot, because I was, like, 'Oh, I hope people come watch me play.'"
Naomi Osaka to play Karolina Muchova in US Open 2R
Naomi Osaka will next play against Czech Karolina Muchova, who overcame Katie Volynets in the first round of the 2024 US Open women's singles event in straight sets.
Muchova suffered three breaks of serve but registered two more on Volynets' serve to win the match 6-3, 7-5.
Naomi Osaka and Karolina Muchova are tied at 1-1 in the head-to-head. She first beat the Czech 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the 2020 Cincinnati Open. They then clashed in the second round of the 2021 Madrid Open where Muchova won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
The duo were scheduled to meet for a third-round matchup at the Miami Open in 2022 but Muchova pulled out.