Naomi Osaka, trailing by a set, squandered three sets points that would have leveled her match and crashed out of the U.S. Open in the second round on Thursday (August 29) in New York.
The Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova beat Osaka, a two-time U.S. Open champion, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
In terms of rankings, the match doesn’t qualify as an upset, as Muchova is No. 52 in the world and Osaka is No. 88. But Osaka is a former world No. 1 and a four-time Grand Slam winner. Her ranking slipped during her year-plus absence from the game due to maternity leave and a mental-health break.
Osaka, 26, broke serve to take a 5-4 lead in the second set, and she went up 40-0 in the next game. Muchova fought back to hold serve and extend the set.
In the tiebreaker, Osaka jumped in front 4-2, but Muchova captured the next four points. Muchova closed it out on her second match point.
The result ends a disappointing year in the majors for Osaka, who lost in the first round at the Australian Open and in the second round at the other three: the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
