Naomi Osaka revealed she “felt really restrained” during her shock first-round loss to Danielle Collins at the US Open. The 24-year-old was defeated 7-6, 6-3 by Collins, the current world number 19.
Given Osaka sits 44th in the world rankings, the result may not seem too much of a surprise. But the Japanese star is a two-time US Open champion, and it was expected she would progress further into this year’s tournament than the opening round.
After her defeat, Osaka told reporters that she was struggling to “hit the shots that I know I can”. “When I think about having fun, it’s like I don’t feel restrained,” she said. “Lately I felt really restrained.
I’m not really sure why. “I’m beginning to feel like I can’t hit the shots that I know I can, like especially on my forehand… I just don’t have the same feeling.” Osaka missed a large part of the 2021 season in order to protect her mental health, and has struggled to find her form again this year.