NEW YORK – It was a challenging evening for Naomi Osaka on Thursday as she faced Karolina Muchova in the second round of the US Open. After coming close to forcing a third set, Osaka lost her concentration and made several errors on her forehands, resulting in a defeat with scores of 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Osaka, who was once ranked as the number one player in the world, has now fallen to the 88th position after being away from tennis for nearly a year and a half due to mental health issues and maternity leave. At the start of the match, she struggled significantly, losing five consecutive games and winning only 4 out of 26 points during one stretch.
However, in the second set, Osaka demonstrated renewed strength by breaking Muchova’s serve and taking her only lead in the match at 5-4. The audience at Arthur Ashe Stadium rallied behind her, especially when she served an impressive ace at 119 mph. She had three opportunities to secure a third set, but unfortunately, she failed to capitalize on them and was broken after making five errors during the tiebreak.
As they reached the tiebreak, it was Muchova who took control, securing the victory with a clever defensive maneuver. “It feels unreal – the atmosphere and the people. The energy is insane,” said Muchova, a 28-year-old from the Czech Republic. She has had a remarkable 2023 season, reaching the finals of the French Open and the semifinals of the US Open earlier in the tournament. However, an injury to her right hand sidelined her until she returned in June.
“Honestly, the biggest victory for me this year is that I could play again,” Muchova said. “This is just the cherry on top, being here again in this stadium.”
With temperatures dropping to 70 degrees Fahrenheit after Wednesday’s heat, Muchova was in peak form while Osaka struggled to find her game. Her performance was a stark contrast to her first-round match, where she overcame Jelena Ostapenko without making a single unforced error until the second set.
Despite Osaka’s attempts to find her rhythm, everything seemed to go Muchova’s way, who managed to take control of the match at critical moments while Osaka sought to find her footing once more. With thousands of fans cheering for her, it was clear that Osaka needs more time to regain her former glory on the tennis court.