Labubu was one of many speaking factors of the just-concluded US Open. So was Naomi Osaka.
The No. 23 seed made heads flip along with her stirring run in New York earlier than developing brief within the semifinal in opposition to native favorite Amanda Anisimova. From languishing within the low 800s after being away from the sport for 17 months on maternity depart, Osaka has soared to 14th on the planet rankings after her spectacular efficiency in New York. The 27-year-old shall be aiming to construct on her type and plot her approach again to the place she belonged as soon as within the sport – the highest.
Importantly, the previous World No. 1 is taking lots of inspiration from her defeats. The latest one by the hands of Anisimova seems to have given her the assumption that she nonetheless has it in her to win Grand Slam titles.
Osaka went down in a close to three-hour battle regardless of blasting extra aces than her opponent and committing fewer unforced errors. She selected to deal with the positives regardless of the heartbreaking defeat.
“I don’t really feel unhappy. I simply really feel that I did the very best that I may,” Osaka mentioned after the match. “Actually, it’s form of inspiring for me as a result of it makes me wish to prepare and attempt to get higher… give it my perfect shot once more and see what occurs. I can’t be mad or upset at myself.”
She was away from the game for an prolonged interval following the beginning of her daughter, solely returning to the tour in January 2024. The comeback, nonetheless, wasn’t easy. She was unable to win the matches the place she regarded the favorite and transferring up the rankings ladder was slower than anticipated.
“When all of the mothers got here again (to the tour after giving beginning) they usually did nicely form of off the bat, I form of felt like there was one thing fallacious with me,” Osaka had mentioned after her quarterfinal win over eleventh seed Karolina Muchova.
“I do know that Belinda (Bencic, who gave beginning in April 2024) made the semifinal of Wimbledon (2025, her second Grand Slam look since returning to the tour). I simply actually felt like I used to be shedding a race in some form of bizarre approach. That was on my thoughts, and now I’m right here and I really feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.”
Earlier than the defeat to Anisimova on the US Open, a second-round loss to Emma Raducanu in Washington, in July, appeared to have served her nicely.
“I known as a round-table of my staff, and I used to be simply very confused (about) how assured I used to be in myself,” Osaka mentioned in the course of the New York marketing campaign. “As a result of, regardless that I misplaced, I keep in mind telling them, ‘I believe I can beat anybody from the baseline nonetheless, and we simply have to determine if I’ve to alter my sport plan or if I simply should do one thing new and totally different.’”
That prompted the choice to herald as her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who beforehand labored with Iga Swiatek. Osaka mentioned that Wiktorowski had helped her grow to be extra environment friendly when returning serve and be extra affected person in rallies. They’ve labored collectively in solely two tournaments to date and the outcomes have been spectacular. Osaka reached the ultimate of the Montreal Masters, which helped her earn a seeding at a Grand Slam for the primary time for the reason that 2022 Australian Open. And her deep run within the season’s final Main may present the impetus that she is in search of and might be the springboard for elevated success and presumably event victories.
“Getting far within the US Open was undoubtedly a confidence booster. However the season’s not accomplished but,” she mentioned after the exit on the US Open. “I don’t know what rating I’m up at, however I believe I’m getting up there. Doing nicely within the Asian swing after which closing off the remainder of the yr is my purpose now,” Osaka mentioned, waiting for the remainder of the season.
Having gained 4 Grand Slam singles titles (two every on the US Open and Australian Open), Osaka shall be eager to raised her file on the French Open, the place her finest exhibiting so far has been reaching the third spherical, and in addition at Wimbledon, which hasn’t seen her advance previous the third spherical.
The ability-hitting Japanese has seen all of it since her spectacular rise. After breaking by way of with a title run on the 2018 US Open, she scaled the height of the game and regarded set to rule earlier than issues started to go pear-shaped. Detached type and accidents pegged her again. That wasn’t all. She grappled with psychological well being points, too. She walked away from the game early in 2023 as a result of being pregnant and would return solely in January 2024. After a season with combined outcomes and extra lows than highs, Osaka pulled the curtains down on the (2024) season early as a result of a again harm.
This yr started on a promising be aware as she reached the ultimate of the Auckland Open earlier than falling to Clara Tauson. It was the primary time she superior to a last since 2022. Nonetheless, she was compelled to retire mid-way as a result of an harm.
Whereas a third-round look on the Australian Open adopted, event success continued to elude her. Issues rotated on the WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo, the place she gained her first title for the reason that 2021 Australian Open.
After the Canadian Open, she progressed to the ultimate earlier than the fast-rising Victoria Mboko stopped her run. She constructed on the efficiency within the last Main of the yr.
She got here up with commanding shows within the first two rounds with straight set wins earlier than Daria Kasatkina got here in her approach. After sweeping the primary set with out dropping a sport, she held off a combating Kasatkina. Then got here the high-profile conflict in opposition to Coco Gauff, which noticed Osaka dismantle the third-seeded American in straight units in a medical show.
“These are the moments that I play tennis for,” she mentioned after crushing Gauff. It was an indication that she was again to her finest and will tackle and beat the very best within the enterprise.
She carried her good type into the semis and was concerned in an intense battle in opposition to Anisimova earlier than developing brief. Although she did not emulate Kim Clijsters in successful a Slam after turning into a mom, just like the Belgian did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Osaka’s splendid run at Flushing Meadows will give her hope of doing that very quickly.
Current years have seen a number of gamers lay their arms on Grand Slam singles trophies, with there being no duopoly like within the males’s sport, the place Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have pulled away from the remainder of the sector.
Osaka may as soon as once more break into the winner’s circle on the Majors, if she will be able to fend off the challenges posed by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the present main names on the ladies’s circuit.
How Osaka fares in the remainder of the 2025 season and her means to deal with seasoned opponents would supply solutions to the query of whether or not she may return to the elite. However given her good exhibiting in New York, that might be inside the realms of risk.
The tennis star from the Land of the Rising Solar is primed to rise to the highest of the game once more, having been ranked the No. 1 for 25 weeks earlier, and possibly carry extra Labubus to Slams.
Revealed – September 12, 2025 12:12 am IST
