'This year hasn't been great' - Naomi Osaka beaten by Danielle Collins in 'pretty hard' US Open first round
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Updated 31/08/2022 at 06:17 GMT
It was another Grand Slam to forget for Naomi Osaka in 2022 as she was defeated by Danielle Collins in the first round of the US Open. Flushing Meadows has been a scene of great triumph and wonderful memories for the Japanese star over the years, but she could not shake off injury frustrations and niggles that have plagued her season. Ultimately, Collins was too strong for her on the night.
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Naomi Osaka was left to reflect on another frustrating Grand Slam after she lost in the opening round to Danielle Collins at the US Open - her favourite major event.
The former world No. 1, who was eliminated from back-to-back tournaments at the first-round stage for the first time since 2018 earlier this month, could not manage to raise her level sufficiently in time at Flushing Meadows as she lost 7-6(5) 6-3 to the American.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was very much in the contest through an enthralling opening set that could have gone either way with a tie-breaker decisive. Thereafter, Collins managed to find another gear to pull away and seal a fine opening victory.
Osaka, who triumphed inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2018 and 2020 to make the venue a cherished one for her, could not find the magic on this occasion and reflected with gratitude on being unseeded and still getting to play on the biggest stage the sport has to offer.
"I mean, I kind of thought that I played a bit too defensively," Osaka said in her post-match press conference. "I didn't really trust my forehand that much, and I think that maybe you could see that a little bit.
"I also felt like I was on my back foot a lot. So, yeah, overall I wouldn't say that I played very well, but I tried the hardest with what I could do.
"I feel like I lost in the first round of France, too, so... This year hasn't really been a great year. I mean, it was pretty hard for me.
"I think it was just special to play on Ashe. I think a lot of players would die for that opportunity. For the tournament to let me still play on that even though I'm unseeded, I'm very thankful.
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"I mean, for me, honestly I just wanted to play without, like, my back being in pain because it's kind of been bad for, like, the entire hard court season since Toronto.
"I didn't serve until, like, two days ago, so I was really happy with how my serve went. I don't know. I just feel like these are one of the things that you don't plan for it, it just happened. Like, I didn't know that I was going to play her until a few days ago because I opened Twitter by accident.
"But, yeah, I mean, I think this is what makes you great, like being able to win matches like this even if it's in the first round," she continued.
"I feel like everyone deals with injuries. I would say for me, it's been more prominent this year. But I think it's something that I can learn. Like I learned a lot more about my body, I learned what's weak, and what I can do to prevent it.
"I would say the sport is definitely very physical, but it's kind of my job to stay on top of it."
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