Naomi Osaka’s comeback story gained fresh momentum on Wednesday night as the four-time Grand Slam champion booked her place in the US Open semifinals for the first time since lifting the title five years ago.
The 23rd-seeded Osaka produced a composed performance to defeat No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6 (3), extending her unbeaten record in Grand Slam quarterfinals to 5-0 all on hard courts. Each time she has previously reached this stage, she has gone on to win the tournament.
“It means so much. I’m actually surprised I’m not crying,” Osaka said in her on-court interview. “It’s been so much hard work that you guys haven’t seen. I’m just grateful to my team and happy to be healthy.”
You may also read: Naomi Osaka pregnant with first child- ET confirms
The 27-year-old Japanese star, seeded at a major for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, is enjoying her best run since returning from a 17-month maternity leave. She stunned world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the round of 16 and has dropped only one set throughout the tournament. Her latest triumph marked her sixth consecutive victory over a top-20 opponent, equalling the longest streak of her career.
Muchova, last year’s French Open finalist and a two-time US Open semifinalist, battled valiantly but ultimately fell short after a grueling tournament in which she contested 145 games – the most ever by a woman in the first five rounds of the Open era.
Osaka, a two-time US Open winner, now turns her focus to a high-stakes semifinal against No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova. The American pulled off the shock of the day by eliminating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, less than two months after falling to the Polish star 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final.
With her return to the latter stages of a major, Osaka has reignited hopes of another title run in New York and further cemented her place as one of the sport’s most resilient competitors.
