[Music] Naomi Osaka loses US Open second
round match to karolina mucha in straight sets Naomi Osaka was off to an impressive
start at the 2024 US Open but that success was unfortunately fleeting on Thursday night
at Arthur Ash Stadium Osaka followed up her first round upset of number 10 seed yena aeno
on Tuesday by losing to kolina mucha in straight sets 6-3 7-6 5 mucha who advanced to the US
Open semi-finals last year overpowered Osaka with her forehand in the first set and appeared
to be in for a difficult yet quick win karolina mucha too much in set one she takes it 6 to3
however Osaka fought back in the second set to force a tiebreaker in the second and looked as
if the crowd support might lift her tot end the match to a third set yet she squandered a 40 to0
lead to start the set committing several crucial errors on returns that allowed mucha to rally and
tie Osaka showed her frustration by bouncing her racket on the court getting new life mucha came
back with strong servs and forehands that Osaka could not overcome while also covering seemingly
every corner of the Court kolina much is showing the range in a big moment Osaka won the Us open
in 2018 and 2020 and remains enormously popular with fans she entertained the crowd and social
media with her stylish outfits punctuated by bows on the back of her jacket top and shoes
her first round victory over aeno showed that she was returning to the player she was before
taking a Hiatus for her mental health in 2021 Osaka's play had been inconsistent since then
as she fell down in the world rankings last year she withdrew from the Australian Open
announcing she was pregnant with her first child as should be expected it was difficult to
work herself back into top form both physically and mentally I don't feel like I'm in my body
she said earlier this month in an Instagram post it's a strange feeling missing balls
I shouldn't Miss hitting balls softer than I remember I used to Osaka acknowledged
that struggle after defeating aeno crying into a tow Naomi Osaka during the pressure moments
I got nervous suggests the solution is to maybe play more matches US Open 2024 expecting Osaka
to advance far into this year's tournament may have been too much but defeating a top 10 player
for the first time in four years and showing off a powerful serve demonstrated that she is still
capable of excellent play speaking to reporters she admitted to feeling nervous which might be
resolved by playing more from here on out mucha will face Anastasia poova in the third round poova
defeated verar alenko in straight sets 6-3 6-4