Naomi Osaka has walked through the gates of the US Open plenty of times—first as a kid in the stands, later as a qualifier, and eventually as a champion under the lights of Arthur Ashe.
This year, she’s arriving with a new kind of confidence.
The 27-year-old, who already owns two US Open titles (2018 and 2020) along with a pair of Australian Open trophies, says the hard courts in Queens have always felt like home.
“This is probably my favorite and the greatest tournament for me,” she told reporters ahead of her opening match, according to the official US Open website. “I have so many really cool memories here. I also have some not-so-cool memories here. For me, the US Open is an embodiment of New York, and it’s very loud and busy, but it’s also really special.”
Her draw begins against Belgium’s Greet Minnen, ranked No. 99, but Osaka comes in on the back of her strongest stretch since returning from maternity leave in 2023.
Earlier this month in Montreal, she strung together a series of big wins—including saving match points against Liudmila Samsonova—to reach the final. “Winning that match gave me a lot of confidence to keep going,” Osaka said.
Helping guide this run is her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, who previously worked with world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Osaka says his direct style has already made an impact. “He cuts to the chase, and he makes me feel like he’s kind of an encyclopedia of tennis,” she explained.
Just as important, Osaka insists her fitness has caught up to her ambitions, and her physical and mental health are in sync. “Physically, I feel really good. I feel like I’m getting to balls very quickly, so that’s very helpful because it makes me feel not as pressured to try to end the point.”