Decoding the torrid run of Naomi Osaka in 2024
Naomi Osaka is enduring a horrid run in 2024 and this continued also at the 2024 US Open where she was ousted in the 2nd round by Karolina Muchova. The match ended with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6(5) in favor of Muchova. This marks a disappointing turn for Osaka, who had previously triumphed at Flushing Meadows in both 2018 and 2020. Here we decode the poor run of Osaka in 2024.
Osaka's struggle to regain form post-maternity leave
Osaka's performance this season has been less than stellar, following her return post her maternity leave at the beginning of the year. She had to miss last year's tournament due to the birth of her daughter. The Japanese star admitted that she takes these losses very personally and feels like her heart dies every time she loses.
Osaka's reflections on her performance and future
Despite the loss, Osaka remains optimistic about her future in the sport. She described this season as a "learning year" and expressed pride in having had many opportunities to compete. She also admitted that she could have performed much better. At 26, she has four major titles to her name but has had difficulty going past the second round at Flushing Meadows, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros this year.
Match summary and H2H
The Japanese player served six aces as compared to the Czech's seven aces. The 26-year-old committed four double faults while her opponent committed only one fault. Meanwhile, Muchova had a 77% first-serve win and a 64% second-serve win. Osaka converted only 1/3 of her break points, while Muchova converted 3/7 break points. Additionally, Osaka won 62 points in total in comparison to Muchova's 73 points. With this win, Muchova leads Osaka 2-1 in terms of head-to-head on the WTA Tour.
Osaka's journey from Brisbane International to Italian Open
Osaka started her season with the Brisbane International, suffering a R32 exit. Thereafter, she was seen at the Australian Open, where she exited in the opening round. She suffered another 1st-round exit at the Abu Dhabi Open. This was followed by a quarter-final exit in Qatar and R32 exits at Indian Wells and Miami Open respectively. She was beaten in the first round at Open de Rouen. Osaka was beaten in R64 at Madrid Open and R16 at Italian Open.
Her journey from Roland Garros to Cincinnati Masters
Osaka was beaten in the 2nd round at 2024 Roland Garros by Iga Swiatek but this was probably her best performance of the year. A quarter-final appearance followed at 's-Hertogenbosch before an opening round exit happened at Grass Court Championships in Berlin. Osaka was tamed in the 2nd round at Wimbledon. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she suffered a 1st-round exit. Another 2nd-round exit happened at the Canadian Open before she lost in the qualifiers of Cincinnati Masters.
Osaka finishes her Grand Slam journey in 2024
Osaka now owns a 23-6 win-loss record at the US Open and 60-22 record overall at Grand Slams. In 2024, her Grand Slam win-loss record reads a dismal 3-4.
