Naomi Osaka’s return to the US Open ended in the second round, but the two-time champion expressed gratitude despite the straight-sets loss to Karolina Muchova. Osaka, who won the title in 2018 and 2020, missed last year’s edition due to the birth of her daughter.
Osaka’s comeback has been marked by inconsistent results, with her first-round win over Jelena Ostapenko being her first top-10 victory in four years. She acknowledged that she has been struggling with her form since before her maternity break.
“I feel like I’m coming back from pregnancy, but also it wasn’t like in 2022 I was the best version of myself,” Osaka said. “So in some way I had to catch up to that, and then also I’m trying to pass it at the same time.”
Despite the loss, Osaka expressed appreciation for the support she received from the crowd. “It was really fun,” she said. “I felt very grateful that there were so many people cheering. I missed it a lot.”
Muchova, who is also on the comeback trail after missing nine months due to wrist surgery, was satisfied with her victory. “It’s a long journey,” she said. “I’m for sure in a different position than I was last year. I don’t even want to compare myself to last year — it was kind of a bumpy road.”
Muchova praised the atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium, saying, “The court and the atmosphere is amazing. They were mostly cheering for Naomi, but that’s natural. But I just think so many people coming out and the show and everything about that — I would say it’s why I play tennis and what I like about it, the atmosphere and the energy.”
