Naomi Osaka was left in tears after her impressive first-round victory at the US Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion spoke afterwards about what made her so emotional.
Osaka, who won the US Open in 2018 and 2020, looked like a true elite player on Tuesday as she easily defeated world number 10 Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2.
And the Japan-born player, who missed all of last season on maternity leave, was overcome with emotion after reaching the second round and claiming her first top 10 victory in four years.
“I mean honestly it’s a combination of a lot of different things,” she told reporters after the game. “I grew up here, so just seeing kids, and then thinking back to my daughter, but also seeing kids coming and seeing me play and just remembering when I was a kid, I guess a long time ago, made me very emotional.
‘And then also the memory that I came to see Coco [Gauff] play her semi-finals [last year] and I was in the audience and I didn’t know if I would ever be able to play at this level again. Just to play against Ostapenko, who is such a great player, and to win that match, it means a lot to me.’
Naomi Osaka got emotional after beating Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the US Open
She explained that she cried for several reasons, such as when she thought about her daughter and saw the children in the crowd.
“Yeah, just seeing the stadium so full meant a lot. I thought, ‘Oh, I hope people come out to watch me play,'” she continued.
Osaka, who has not advanced beyond the third round of a Grand Slam since her victory at the 2021 Australian Open, even admitted that she cried more on Tuesday than after winning her Grand Slams.
‘The first US Open I won, I played [Aryna] Sabalenka in the round of 16. I remember crying really hard after that because I had my, like, barrier of I couldn’t make it to the round of 16 or the quarterfinals. I think it was the round of 16,” she began.
‘Yeah, it’s funny, I feel like I’ve cried a lot more now than when I won Grand Slams. That’s kind of funny.’
It’s been a tough few years for Osaka, as she’s been open about her struggles with depression. She’s also seen her ranking drop to No. 88 ahead of this tournament, and was given a wildcard after failing to qualify for the Cincinnati Open.
She described that moment as the lowest point of her career. Perhaps she will flourish in New York, where she has fewer expectations.
Osaka, 26, has been open about her struggles with mental health in recent years
“I’m really happy that I played in all the tournaments this year. Even though the results weren’t great, I feel like I got something out of every match,” she said.
‘Over time I know that even though I lost in the Cincy qualifiers, I somehow gained confidence in myself, because for me that was the worst possible outcome of my career. Granted, I could have lost the round before that.
‘But yeah, I don’t know, it’s been so much hard work, so many dreams and wishes, and I hope I can continue.’
On Thursday she will try to use this as her case against Karolína Muchova.