New York, Sep 1 (IANS) Naomi Osaka began her bid for a third US Open crown with a straight-sets victory over Anastasia Zakharova on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but the former world No. 1 was pushed into two deciding tiebreaks before sealing her place in the second round.
Osaka, the 2018 and 2020 champion, appeared in control in both sets after opening up leads, moving 5-2 ahead in the first and 5-3 in the second. Zakharova, ranked 101st on the WTA Tour, refused to fade and levelled on both occasions to force tiebreaks.
The Japanese star eventually held her nerve, taking the opening breaker 8-6 after saving the momentum swings and then claiming the second 7-3 to finish the match in a little over two hours.
The result also extended Osaka’s productive Grand Slam season. It was her 10th major match win of 2026, taking her record at the four Grand Slams to 10-2. She had not reached double figures for major victories in a season since 2019, when she won 12.
Osaka’s serve was another key factor in her victory. She struck 11 aces, including one on match point, with 10 coming in the second set. Her season tally has now reached 208 aces, making her only the ninth player to record at least 200 in 2026.
The win was also Osaka’s 11th on hard courts this year, adding to semifinal and quarterfinal appearances in Washington, D.C. and Toronto, respectively.
She has now won 29 of her opening-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments, losing only six. Her record in US Open first rounds improved to 9-1, with her lone defeat coming against Danielle Collins in 2022. Overall, Osaka moved to 79 Grand Slam match victories, closing in on Japan’s Ai Sugiyama (84) and China’s Li Na (90) among Asia’s leading players.
Osaka also made a statement with her outfit. She walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium in an all-white gown before changing into a black ensemble inspired by former NBA star Allen Iverson.
“It’s my tribute to Iverson, she told the fans during her on-court interview. “I really like him a lot. Nike said ‘basketball.’ So I said, OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball. I love expressing myself through clothes. I’m glad you guys appreciate it.”
For Zakharova, the defeat marked another difficult Grand Slam season. All four of her first-round exits in 2026 have come against players ranked inside the top 15, while she remains without a victory against a top-20 opponent, slipping to 0-8 in such matches and 0-16 in sets.
Osaka will next face Katerina Siniakova, who defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-2. Osaka leads their head-to-head 2-1, with wins in Doha in 2018 and at Wimbledon in 2025. Siniakova’s only victory came at the 2019 French Open, when she beat top-seeded Osaka in the third round.
–IANS
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