Naomi Osaka showcased her rising form with a straightforward 6-3, 6-1 victory over Hailey Baptiste of the United States to advance to the third round of the US Open.
The 23rd-seeded Osaka delivered a commanding performance, controlling the baseline with powerful strokes while also displaying sharp movement and defensive skills to counter Baptiste’s aggressive play.
Having previously won the US Open twice, Osaka arrived in New York this year in an unusual position. Earlier this month in Montreal, she reached her first WTA 1000 final since returning from maternity leave in January 2024, defeating three top-20 players along the way. However, the milestone moment turned bittersweet after a tough loss to Victoria Mboko in the final, followed by criticism for omitting the customary congratulations in her runner-up speech.
"I made sure to speak with her afterward because I know she’s young," said Osaka. "I felt really awful if that somehow overshadowed her achievement. But she told me she hadn’t even noticed, which was a relief. She’s such a kind person, and that just made me feel even worse."
Rather than celebrating her progress, Osaka admitted feeling guilt in the days following Montreal. "I was just overwhelmed with regret," she said. "I think I felt worse for my team because we didn’t get to celebrate properly. They’ve been with me the whole time, so they knew how much the final meant."
Despite concerns that these setbacks might slow her momentum, Osaka has looked strong in her first two matches this week, putting her in contention for a deep run in her first Grand Slam as a seeded player since returning. Next, she will face either 15th-seeded Daria Kasatkina or Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round, aiming to reach a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time since her 2021 Australian Open victory, her fourth major title.
In other matches, men's top seed Jannik Sinner continued his strong title defense with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Australia’s hard-hitting Alexei Popyrin to advance to the third round.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek overcame a tough challenge from Suzan Lamens, securing a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win. Reflecting on the positives from the close contest, Swiatek said, "Facing pressure, working through challenges, solving problems—those are always takeaways from matches like this. Also, getting more time on Ashe Stadium helps, since the surface feels different compared to practice courts. I’ll focus on that."
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