Naomi Osaka’s promising US Open campaign came to an abrupt halt on Monday when a lingering achilles tendon injury proved too much to overcome against Elena Rybakina, with the two-time champion falling 6-1, 6-4 in just 66 minutes of fourth round action.
The Japanese star, who has been battling the injury throughout the tournament, admitted after her straight sets defeat that the problem had deteriorated significantly since her third round victory over Elise Mertens, a match that required a medical timeout for treatment.
“The last match I played, I felt a lot in my leg,” Osaka revealed. “Then this morning, it just got a lot worse. I felt like I played the best that I could given the situation.”
Unable to generate power
The injury severely compromised Osaka’s explosive movement and powerful serve. The 26-year-old explained that the inability to push off properly affected her entire service motion.
“I can’t really push off like I want, and when I land, it hurts a little,” she said. “I was trying to figure out ways to, I guess, minimise it. I thought if I served a little slower the impact when I land would be less.”
Reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina took full advantage, racing through the match in barely over an hour to book her spot in the quarter-finals. The one-sided scoreline reflected Osaka’s limited mobility rather than any dramatic drop in form.
Search for answers continues
Despite the setback, Osaka remains in the dark about the full extent of the injury. She’s undergone multiple diagnostic tests in an attempt to pinpoint the problem, with further investigations planned.
“Yesterday I got an ultrasound, and then I got an ultrasound again just now, and I’m probably going to go get an MRI, because, honestly, I don’t really know too much about what’s going on,” she admitted.
The timing of the injury, whilst frustrating, offers some relief. With the season winding down, Osaka hopes to manage the problem through the upcoming Asian swing before taking advantage of a scheduled two-week break.
“Thankfully we’re at the end of the year, so after the Asian swing, we do get two weeks off,” she said. “I’m just going to make do with the time that I have and try to be smart about the amount of matches I play.”
Positive grand slam season despite injury woes
More than two years since returning to the tour following an extended maternity leave, Osaka reflected positively on her 2026 Grand Slam campaign despite bookending the season with injury issues.
“I started the year injured,” she acknowledged. “I don’t know if this counts as ending the year injured, but I definitely learned a lot about myself, about my tennis.”
The former world No. 1 reached the third round at the Australian Open, advanced to the last 16 at Roland Garros, and produced her best-ever Wimbledon performance with a quarter-final run that included a statement victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.
“I got the furthest that I’ve ever gotten in the French and in Wimbledon,” Osaka said. “Hopefully I can continue to build on that and just play more matches with these really good players, because I feel like I need those under my belt.”
