Naomi Osaka survives roller-coaster night to reach fourth round of US…
This was veering towards a sadly acquainted story for Naomi Osaka.
Straight towards a meltdown, straight towards questions about how she might have thrown away a match that appeared so winnable, wherein she appeared in such management.
Her physique language was in the dumps, her game was riddled with errors and the fallacious form of emotion. She took a medical timeout in the third set, down a break, and you would see the end coming.
And then Osaka picked herself up off the mat. She regained her composure, she received 10 straight factors, she took management of the match and, all of a sudden, she was marching on into the round of 16.
A relieved Naomi Osaka appears up to the sky after successful a point during her hard-fought, three-set win over Elise Mertens during the third round of the U.S. Open on Sept. 5, 2026 at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Jason Szenes for New York Post
It took just about the whole lot she had, however Osaka made it past Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 of their third-round U.S. Open match, overcoming herself as a lot as the rest.
“Honestly, I can’t believe I won this match,” Osaka said in an on-court interview afterward. “… I felt like I put my whole coronary heart on the court docket. And then I just saved attempting every single point and also you guys [the crowd] have been cheering me on, so thanks a lot.
“I’m literally shocked that I won this match. I’m not even gonna lie to you.”
After Osaka dominated the first set, Mertens seized management early in the second following a break of Osaka’s serve that appeared to undo her.
After that break, which tied the set at 2-2, Osaka could possibly be heard on the broadcast saying, “I’m f–king slowing down,” afterward. That turned out to be correct.
She began making unforced errors and her mentality appeared to deteriorate. After Mertens broke her at 2-2 in the third, Osaka spent the changeover with a towel protecting her face. When she hit a ball into the web down 3-2, she let out a scream, seemingly at herself.
“I was really negative on myself, so I’m really sorry about my behavior,” Osaka said on the court docket. “For all the little kids watching, I’m really sorry, but this is my favorite tournament, so I really wanted to play well.”
Naomi Osaka hits a forehand during her three-set win over Elise Martins in the third round of the U.S. Open. Jason Szenes for New York Post
At one point, she took Advil, and later in the third set, took a medical timeout and was visited by a coach, seemingly for her decrease left leg, which was massaged.
That 6-minute break ended up being the turning point.
Osaka received the next 10 factors, then staved off a break point to flip a 3-4 deficit right into a 5-4 lead in the decisive set. The emotion that appeared as if it might undo her minutes earlier was all of a sudden carrying her.
Naomi Osaka wears a annoyed expression during her third-round win. Jason Szenes for New York Post
All the manner to victory.
Osaka, a semifinalist at Wimbledon earlier this 12 months, had not appeared her best in the first or second rounds in New York. She wanted a pair of tiebreaks to get past Anastasia Zakharova in the first round, and three units to defeat Katerina Siniakova in the second.
Here, she performed her best tennis in spurts, however actually not throughout.
“I thought I was gonna be OK this match but clearly I was really shaky,” Osaka said. “It took me what, five match points to finish it?”
Maybe, however what did that matter?
In the end, little in any respect.
Stay up to date with the latest action and trending tales from the world of sports activities! C-lebrity.com brings you the freshest sports activities news, highlights, and professional insights — all rigorously curated to maintain you informed and engaged. From major league updates to inspiring athlete tales, we cowl it multi function place.
Visit C-lebrity.com daily for complete coverage of the games, tournaments, and sporting moments that matter most — your final source for the whole lot sports activities and leisure.