Naomi Osaka is into the third round of the US Open for the first time since 2021 after defeating Hailey Baptiste in straight sets at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The four-time Grand Slam champion won 6-3, 6-1 against the American to pick up an eighth win in her last nine tour-level matches and advance in New York.
Osaka made the final of the Canadian Open and looks to be back to her very best during the hard-court swing, having earned two comfortable victories at the US Open so far.
After the match, the Japanese star gave her reaction to beating Baptiste, but revealed she was ‘stressed’ coming into the clash.
Photo by TIMOTHY A.CLARY/AFP via Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka reacts to beating Hailey Baptiste at the US Open
In her on-court interview, Osaka said of her win over the 23-year-old US star: “I was really stressed the entire time.
“I played her last in Miami, and it was probably one of the most difficult matches of the year. So I was just really trying to focus and not give her any free points and just be positive.”
She also had high praise for her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, who she appointed in July.
Osaka explained: “I mean, he just, he definitely makes me see tennis in a different way, and I think you can kind of see that with how I’m playing recently.
Naomi Osaka’s results since parting ways with Patrick Mouratoglou
After the Washington Open earlier this summer, Osaka parted ways with former coach Patrick Mouratoglou and appointed Wiktorowski, who had previously worked closely with Iga Swiatek.
Since then, she has enjoyed a hot run of form and is producing some of her best tennis in years.
At the Canadian Open in Montreal, she dropped just one set en route to the final, defeating the likes of Clara Tauson and Elina Svitolina en route.
Though she ultimately fell to Victoria Mboko in the final, Osaka has bounced back at Flushing Meadows and will hope to make a deep run at the major she has emerged victorious at twice.
AloJapan.com