NEW YORK — Something is clearly not right.
Naomi Osaka was hoping to make a statement at the U.S. Open, hoping to get her game back on track after a rough year that has included pulling out of one Grand Slam tournament and deciding to skip another. But she had a complete meltdown Friday and was ousted by 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Osaka, who won the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020, was playing in her first Grand Slam since pulling out of the French Open to take a mental-health break.
Osaka, who struggled with Fernandez’ left-handed serve the entire match, unraveled late in the second set. Serving for the match, Osaka had her serve broken. Fernandez then rode that momentum, winning the first five points of the tiebreaker.
The usually stoic Osaka slammed her racket to the court multiple times in frustration during the tiebreaker, which she ended up losing, 7-2. She then left the court at the end of the set, clearly in an attempt to regroup.
"She definitely lost her composure," 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert said on ESPN. "She is usually one to internalize her emotions and feelings on the court. She lost control. She banged her racket. She threw her racket and yet the umpire did not give her a warning."
Added Mary Jo Fernandez: "She’s lucky she didn’t get a warning."
Leyla Fernandez, who is unseeded in the tournament, broke Osaka’s serve in the first game of the final set and then held on to take the match.
"From the very beginning, right before the match, I knew I was able to win," she said. "I was not focusing on Naomi, I was only focusing on myself and what I needed to do.
"The crowd made a huge difference. Thanks to New York for helping me get a win."
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion. Fernandez advances to the round of 16 for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament. This is the lowest ranked player Osaka has lost to since she lost to Coco Gauff in the 2020 Australian Open.
Osaka said before the tournament that it was the trauma of her controversial win over Serena Williams on Arthur Ashe court that had caused her to have some mental-health issues. Osaka, who is the highest paid women’s athlete in history with an income of 60 million last year, has spoken frankly about her mental-health challenges.
It was a big night for teenagers at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Earlier in the evening,18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain upset third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 0-6, 7-6 (7).
Fernandez advances to the fourth round where she will play No. 17 Angelique Kerber of Germany, the 2016 U.S. Open winner, who defeated Sloane Stephens, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Kerber was so sure she was going to play Osaka that she spent a lot of time talking about her in her post-match news conference.
"I think we’re both completely different players now," Kerber said when asked about her history with Osaka. "I think it’s a new match. We start from zero [in] the match. I know that I have to play my best tennis.
"But I know what to expect. We played so many times already. It's more I think that I have to be aggressive and playing my game like I played today."
She will have to be aggressive, but it won’t be against Osaka.
