Two-time champion Naomi Osaka made a triumphant, tearful return to the US Open on Tuesday, beating 10th-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 a year after wondering if she would be back.
Japan’s Osaka missed last year’s US Open after giving birth to her daughter Shai, and the former world number one is still trying to kick her return to the sport into top gear.
But she was dialed in against 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko, firing 19 winners to wrap up the victory in just 63 minutes.
Osaka took the court with a nod to New York fashion in a bouncy tulle skirt and bow-bedecked jacket — shedding both to play in a ruffly green dress.
The playfull outfit belied the emotions she was feeling.
“I was trying not to cry when I was walking out,” Osaka said, tearing up during her post-match on-court interview.
“Last year I was watching Coco (Gauff) play and I so badly wanted to step on these courts again,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could … just to win this match and just to be in this atmosphere means so much to me.”
Osaka has made two quarterfinals at tour events in 2024 but has yet to progress beyond the second round at the majors.
Ostapenko was a tough first-round draw for Osaka, who is now ranked 88th and received a wildcard into the tournament.
“It was stressful,” Osaka said of the early going. “She was hitting some really good shots. I just told myself keep going and keep fighting for every point.”
Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas’ US Open woes continued as he suffered a 7-6(5) 4-6 6-3 7-5 loss to Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round on Tuesday.
After losing a close first set in a tiebreak, Tsitsipas rallied to win the second and level the match, but appeared to have an abdominal issue late on before slumping to defeat in three hours and 54 minutes.
Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, has a poor record at Flushing Meadows and has never made it past the third round of the US Open.
He also struggled in the build-up to the tournament, winning just one of his three matches at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters.
For Kokkinakis, it was a first win at the New York Grand Slam since 2019.
“I had a five-set battle with him a couple of years ago at the Australian Open and I was expecting a war,” Kokkinakis said in his on-court interview.
“It was physical out there and I have a tendency to sometimes drag these matches on and have some real long battles, but I just tried to stay focused, stay the course and just tried to play every point.”
He next faces either Nuno Borges or Federico Coria.
World number one Iga Swiatek launched her bid for a second Grand Slam title of 2024 with a 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) victory over determined lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova at the US Open on Tuesday.
Broken as she served for the match, Swiatek trailed 6-3 in the second-set tiebreaker, saving three set points as she won the last five to close out the match against her 104th-ranked opponent.
“Well, I’m happy that I’m through to the second round, because, you know, first rounds are never easy,” Swiatek said. “But for sure I want to improve some things and adjust a little bit so I’ll make less mistakes.”