Naomi Osaka wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to dominate on a U.S. Open court again after giving birth to her daughter last year.
She proved the doubters wrong on Tuesday as she cruised past No. 10 Jeļena Ostapenko in the first round, winning 6–3, 6–2 in just 64 minutes.
Osaka couldn't help but burst into tears on the sidelines as she soaked in this monumental win. Not only was it her first U.S. Open win in three years, but it was also her first victory over a Top-10 player since Jan. 2020.
What it means for Naomi to be back winning in New York! pic.twitter.com/R7s5X9FOq1
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2024
Osaka emotionally explained why this win was so important to her during her post-match interview.
"I was trying not to cry when I was walking out," Osaka said. "Last year I was watching Coco [Gauff] play, and I so badly wanted to step on these courts again. I didn't know if I could ... just to win this match and just to be in this atmosphere means so much to me."
Soak it all in, @naomiosaka 🥹 pic.twitter.com/nFLRG0NJX1
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2024
She returned to the tennis court at the beginning of the 2024 season after she missed nearly the entire 2023 season while being pregnant with her daughter. She gave birth in July 2023 and then took off the rest of the year for maternity leave.
Osaka has won four major titles in her career, with two of those being the 2018 and 2020 U.S. Open titles. The last WTA title Osaka won was in Jan. 2021 at the Australian Open.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Naomi Osaka Tearfully Celebrated Her First U.S. Open Win in Three Years.
