NEW YORK — 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 US 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 — 6-3, 7-6 — in the second round of the 2024 Open.
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 77% of her points on her first serve, 43% of her break-point opportunities and 39% of her receiving points — all of which topped Osaka’s.
But behind a packed crowd decidedly in her favor, Osaka had her chances.
She led the first set 3-2 before Muchova reeled off four consecutive wins.
Osaka then went up, 5-4, in the second set when she finally broke Muchova’s serve.
With a chance to claim the second set, Osaka went up 40-love 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.
Osaka tossed her racquet after the missed opportunity, and the set ultimately advanced to a tiebreak. Osaka went up 4-2 in the tiebreak, but Muchova rallied to win it, 7-5.
Thursday’s loss concluded an emotional return to the US 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 was moved to tears after the 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 she 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 US 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.
