CHARLY TRIBALLEAU via Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka’s return at the US Open is off to a great start.
Osaka survived an early scare to pick up a 7-6, 7-6 win over Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Monday night. That got the two-time US Open champion into the second round in straight sets.
Osaka, like she has started doing in recent years, rolled into Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a gray hooded dress before revealing an Allen Iverson-inspired fit.
Naomi takes the New York stage! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/n0klTeDxzz
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2026
Naomi Osaka on her appreciation for Allen Iverson, who inspired her fit at the US Open 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8ln3lkzxJf
— ESPN (@espn) September 1, 2026
Osaka wasted little time jumping out in front. She only gave up a point on a double-fault in the first game, and then easily broke Zakharova to take a 2-0 advantage while seemingly showing no emotion, good or bad, whatsoever.
But after her three game lead, Osaka really slowed down. Zakharova found her groove and alternated games for a while before breaking Osaka herself and then tying things up with back-to-back shots in the 10th game. Osaka seemed to lose any momentum after that, too, and fell down for the first time after making multiple errors and a double fault on the serve.
Finally, after things went all the way to the tiebreak, Osaka got a winner to fall and let some emotion out in the form of a fist pump. A little over an hour after the match started, Osaka secured the first set.
Naomi Osaka holds on to win a roller coaster first set! 🎢 pic.twitter.com/rCu4L9YgCe
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2026
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After letting a bit of frustration out, Osaka found her groove again while rallying back from a 40-0 deficit to break Zakharova in the fifth game.
While it looked like Osaka was going to close it out early, Zakharova rallied back perfectly to tie things at 5-5 once again — thanks in part to an impressive 16-shot rally — before taking a 6-5 lead and forcing it back on Osaka.
But Osaka, after throwing her racket in frustration, whipped out four straight points and a 120 mph serve that sent Zakharova backward to force another tiebreak. Her serve was suddenly back, and she easily won the tiebreak 7-3 to end things there and avoid the third set.
Osaka had 11 aces in the win, 10 of which came in the second set.
Osaka reached the semifinals last year in New York, though she fell to Amanda Anisimova in that round. She has been a threat at the previous three Grand Slams in 2026, too, and picked up career-best runs at both the French Open, where she reached the fourth round, and Wimbledon, where she reached the quarterfinals.
While she hasn’t won yet this year, Osaka is fresh off a semifinal appearance at the D.C. Open and a quarterfinal run at the Canadian Open in the lead up to the US Open. Based on Monday night’s outing, Osaka is in peak hard-court form. She’ll take on Katerina Siniakova next in the second round.
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p style=”text-align:left”>Even though we’re just getting started in New York, and it wasn’t as dominant as it looked like it was going to be, Osaka is off and running at the US Open. It’s a start.
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