"Naomi Osaka returns to US Open semifinals as a mother, showing resilience"

Naomi Osaka has returned to her resilient form. On Wednesday evening, she secured a 6-4, 7-6 quarter-final victory over 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova at Arthur Ashe Stadium in under two hours. Just two years ago, the former world No. 1 was watching the tournament from the stands, but now she has reached her first major semi-final since the birth of her daughter, Shai, reestablishing herself as a prominent figure in women’s tennis.

The two-time US Open champion will face Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova in Thursday’s semi-final, carrying momentum from her strong performances. Each time Osaka has advanced to a grand slam quarter-final in her career, she has gone on to claim the title. At this year’s tournament, she has not only displayed the aggressive play that once made her dominant on hard courts but has also demonstrated improved movement, patience in extended rallies, and sharp shot-making at critical moments.

“I was just trying to stay in the match and wait for my chance,” Osaka said after her win over Muchova. Along with her technical progress, her growing confidence and renewed mindset suggest she is more than ready for the challenge posed by Anisimova, who is also enjoying a resurgence in her career.

Facing Muchova, Osaka remained composed under pressure against the Czech player’s attacking style. The early games saw both women hold serve comfortably, but Osaka capitalized in the 10th game, breaking to take the first set. As she headed to her seat, Muchova leaned on her racket to stretch behind the baseline before requesting a medical timeout.

“I made a bad movement and felt something wrong,” said Muchova, who has dealt with unexpected injuries before. “I’m not sure what it is, but hopefully it’s nothing serious and won’t take long to recover. Still, it affected me a bit on the court.” While waiting, Osaka practiced serves and consulted her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, for adjustments.

When play resumed, Muchova returned with her left leg wrapped, seemingly hindered. However, she quickly dispelled doubts by breaking Osaka early in the second set, using clever play to build a 4-3 advantage. Her quick reactions at the net forced errors from Osaka, who reacted with frustration after several forehand mistakes. “She put me in tough spots—breaking me or nearly securing key points,” Osaka admitted. “I just tried to treat every point like it was match point.”

Once Osaka pushed past her frustration, she channeled her focus into aggressive, decisive play to close out the match.