This time last year, Naomi Osaka sat in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium, unsure if she would ever return to an elite level of play.
Osaka, a two-time U.S. Open champion, was only a few weeks removed from giving birth when she attended the 2023 tournament as a fan, watching eventual champion Coco Gauff defeat Karolina Muchova in the semifinal.
On Thursday night, Osaka returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium as a player for the first time since then. Her return was spoiled, however, by Muchova, who defeated Osaka in straight sets — 6-3, 7-6 — in a hard-fought second-round match.
Playing in her second Grand Slam tournament since wrist surgery, the Czech-born Muchova used a dominant serve and excellent athleticism to win in an hour and 34 minutes on a chilly night in Queens.
Muchova won 81% of her points on her first serve, compared to Osaka’s 57%, and won the first eight games she served in. She repeatedly delivered highlights by ranging across Flushing Meadows’ premier court to return balls she appeared unlikely to reach.
But despite Muchova’s win in straight sets, the match remained highly competitive throughout.
Osaka led the first set, 3-2, before Muchova reeled off four consecutive wins.
With a cheering crowd behind her, Osaka went up, 5-4, in the second set when she finally broke Muchova’s serve for the first time.
Osaka had a chance to claim the second set, going up 40-0 in the 10th game to set up the winning point, but she committed a double fault and two unforced errors that allowed Muchova to tie things up, 5-5.
The second set ultimately advanced to a tiebreak. Osaka went up, 4-2, but Muchova rallied to win it, 7-5.
Thursday’s loss concluded an emotional return to the U.S. Open for Osaka, who did not compete on the tour last season while on maternity leave. Once the world’s top-ranked player, the four-time Grand Slam champion is currently No. 88 and entered this year’s Open as a wild card.
Osaka wore a black Nike outfit featuring a large white bow, along with bow-covered shoes to match. The look, designed by AMBUSH’s Yoon Ahn, followed the flamboyant lime-green, bow-covered outfit Osaka wore in Tuesday’s first-round win over Jelena Ostapenko.
Osaka dominated that first-round match, cruising past the 10th-seeded Ostapenko in straight sets at Louis Armstrong Stadium. She recorded nine aces, won 80% of her points on her first serve and committed only five unforced errors in that opening match.
She was moved to tears after that win, sharing afterward that she was overcome remembering her experiences attending the Open as a child. Born in Japan, Osaka moved with her family to Elmont, N.Y., when he was 4.
In an Instagram post Wednesday, Osaka shared a photo showing her on crutches after her pregnancy and revealed she “couldn’t walk without pain” a year ago.
Osaka returned to the tour this year and competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments. She was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open and in the second rounds of the French Open and Wimbledon.
This U.S. Open also marks a return for Muchova, who underwent wrist surgery in February after being out since last year’s Open loss to Gauff. She did not compete in the Australian Open or French Open, then suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon.
Muchova, who was the world’s No. 8 player last September, is currently ranked No. 52.