Naomi Osaka Triumphs in Stylish Return to U.S. Open

Naomi Osaka made a striking fashion statement during her first match at the U.S. Open in two years, showcasing a green dress from her Ambush collection, designed by Yoon Ahn.

The dress featured a small shiny bow and four tiers of ruffles, exemplifying Osaka’s unique style. Following her appearance in the dress, Osaka demonstrated her skill on the court by decisively defeating former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 6-3, 6-2.

This victory marked Osaka’s first Top-10 win since January 2020 and followed Ostapenko’s impressive performance against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the previous year’s tournament.

Throughout the match, Osaka delivered an astonishing nine aces and 19 winners while committing only five unforced errors. She won 39 out of 50 service points and showcased a dominant performance by not being broken throughout the match.

Commenting on her outstanding performance, ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernandez stated, “If she serves the way she did and hits the way she did, she can beat anyone.”

At 26 years of age, Osaka returned to competitive tennis after a year on maternity leave and has since recorded an 18-15 match record, currently ranked No. 85 globally.

Despite her ranking, Osaka remains the third-highest paid female tennis player in the world, surpassed only by Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.

Osaka shared her experiences as a new mother, mentioning the challenges of balancing her responsibilities with her tennis career. “Last night my daughter didn’t want to go to sleep on her bedtime, so I had to hold her for quite a while,” Osaka recounted during an on-court interview.

She expressed her gratitude for being back on the court, reflecting on her emotional experience watching Coco Gauff win the title last year from the stands, which inspired her return to the game.

Osaka acknowledged the significance of her victory, saying, “Just to win this match and just to be in this atmosphere means so much to me so thank you.”

In her next match, Osaka will face world No. 52 Karolína Muchová in the second round, with the possibility of encountering former finalist Leylah Fernandez in the third round. As a four-time major champion, Osaka continues to be a formidable contender in the tournament.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 seeded player, Iga Swiatek, faced a significant challenge against Kamilla Rakhimova. Despite a tense match, Swiatek triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), advancing in the tournament.