Naomi Osaka takes major title wait in stride after U.S. Open exit

NEW YORK – Naomi Osaka’s fourth-round exit from the U.S. Open on Monday extended her wait for another Grand Slam title, but she remained grounded in perspective. The Japanese player last won a major at the Australian Open in 2021 before taking a break and giving birth to daughter Shai three years ago. Despite impressive results since returning to the circuit, such as reaching the U.S. Open semifinals and Wimbledon quarterfinals, Osaka acknowledged the significant life changes that had occurred during her hiatus.

"I had a kid, you know? There's a lot that happened in that time," she said following her 6-1, 6-4 loss to Elena Rybakina. Osaka reflected that she had nothing to regret or be sad about in her career, emphasizing that winning another Grand Slam wouldn't alter her life. This sentiment echoed her first major triumph, which came at the U.S. Open in 2018 and was repeated in 2020.

The 28-year-old, who battled an Achilles injury during her loss to Rybakina, expressed continued learning from her setbacks. "Today, if I was to say I’m sad, I was just sad that I couldn’t push off on my foot," she admitted. "If I think about my life, my daughter is healthy, everyone in my family is great. I had an opportunity to play this slam. I got as far as I could. So it’s only up from here."