Naomi Osaka fought through injury and raw emotion to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Open on Wednesday, overcoming defending champion Suzan Lamens in a hard-fought three-set battle.
Playing a singles tournament in her native Japan for the first time in three years, the top-seeded Osaka triumphed 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-2 in front of a supportive crowd in the city of Osaka. The victory sets up a last-eight clash against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.
“Emotionally I was going through a lot in this match,” Osaka said after the win. “In the third set, I just tried my best to play with no regrets.”
The former world No. 1 appeared in control in the deciding set, racing to a 5-0 lead before calling for a medical timeout due to pain in her left leg. She returned to the court with heavy strapping on her thigh and dropped two games before sealing the win in 2 hours and 20 minutes.
After hitting a backhand winner on match point, Osaka bent over in visible distress and appeared to choke back tears as she walked to the net for the handshake.
The four-time Grand Slam champion later revealed she had taken painkillers before the match and was still struggling physically.
“I couldn’t really move that well,” she admitted. “It doesn’t feel good, but I think I’m a fast healer, so hopefully it’ll be OK for my next match.”
The 27-year-old is making her return to the WTA tour following a semi-final run at the US Open, where she lost to American Amanda Anisimova. It marked her best performance at a Grand Slam since her 2021 Australian Open title.
Now ranked 16th in the world, Osaka appears determined to claw her way back to the top — even if it means fighting through injury and emotion to do so.
AFP
