Naomi Osaka, a heartfelt champion, defeated Jelena Ostapenko in a sensational first-round suit that made a joyful US Open profit.
Osaka, a two-time champion at Flushing Meadows, won her second of her four Grand Slam victories in 2018 and will do the same in 2020.
After giving birth to child Shai, she missed the previous month’s competition, but she was able to watch from the crowd, which rekindled her interest.
The original world number one faced a difficult task against Romanian 10th plant Ostapenko, but came through 6-3 6-2 in really 63 days.
Osaka covered her face with a blanket as she cried cheers and cheers after winning, and then reacted in her on-court discussion.
” I was trying not to weep when I was walking out”, the 26-year-old said.
” I ca n’t recall the time last year when I watched Coco [ Gauff ] play, and I ahmed to try these courts once more.
” I did n’t know if I could- athletically, physically, if I was able to. Only to play this game and experience this atmosphere means a lot to me, but thank you.
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17 minutes before
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Victory over Ostapenko was Osaka’s primary against a top-10 person for four centuries.
Osaka, who even won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, spoke before the US Open about no feeling” like I’m in my system” since her return from maternity leave.
Shai, her child, was born in July 2023, and she made it back to the WTA Tour in January.
Although she has had some distinctive performances, including coming within a few strokes of defeating eventual champion Iga Swiatek at the European Open, she has never gone beyond the quarter-finals of any event.
Karolina Muchova, a past French Open finalist, is awaiting in the next round, and she also has a hard draw in New York.
Asked about her goals for the game, Osaka said:” Stay focusing, keep trying to play actually well, but overall have a lot of fun.
My daughter and I held her for a while last night and I was like,” Oh well, she really picked the perfect moment not to go to sleep.”
Occasions like those are so important to me, and I’m only hoping to cherish them longer.
