NEW YORK â Naomi Osaka recovered from a costly second-set collapse to defeat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 and reach the third round of the 2026 US Open on Thursday.
The 13th-seeded Japanese star appeared to be heading toward a comfortable straight-sets victory when she led 6-2, 5-3 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, Siniakova won four consecutive games to force a deciding set.
Osaka responded decisively. The two-time US Open champion rediscovered the clean baseline hitting that had powered her through the opening set and raced through the decider, completing the victory in approximately two hours and two minutes.
The result also carried a significant career milestone: Osaka became only the second Japanese player in the Open Era to record at least 80 womenâs singles main-draw victories at Grand Slam tournaments.
Naomi Osaka vs Katerina Siniakova: Key moments
Osaka immediately established control with the pace and depth of her groundstrokes. After breaking Siniakova for a 3-1 advantage, she continued dictating from the baseline and secured another break to take the opening set 6-2.
The four-time Grand Slam champion maintained that momentum early in the second set. She broke for a 4-2 lead and moved within one game of victory at 5-3, but her serve and concentration suddenly became less reliable.
A shaky ball toss and a second serve measured at just 79 mph contributed to one of the breaks against Osaka. Siniakova, the worldâs leading doubles player, began finding greater consistency and applied pressure with her backhand.
Osaka was unable to serve out the contest at 5-3. Siniakova then held at 5-5 before breaking again, completing a run of four straight games to take the set 7-5.
Rather than allowing the missed opportunity to control the match, Osaka reset during the changeover. She held comfortably to begin the third set and broke Siniakova immediately afterward with a well-disguised, wrong-footing lob among the standout shots.
Osaka quickly opened a 3-0 lead. Although Siniakova held once, the Japanese player broke again and served out the match at 5-1, sealing a 6-1 final set with the forceful tennis that has made her particularly dangerous on hard courts.
- Final score: Naomi Osaka defeated Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1
- Round: US Open womenâs singles second round
- Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York
- Match duration: Approximately two hours and two minutes
- Turning point: Osaka immediately broke serve after losing four consecutive games at the end of the second set
- Milestone: Osaka reached 80 Grand Slam womenâs singles main-draw victories
The performance was not flawless. Osakaâs inability to close the match in straight sets exposed periods of uncertainty on serve, but the emphatic response in the decider demonstrated why she remains a serious threat in New York.
Osaka entered the tournament with renewed major-tournament momentum after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals earlier in the summer. She defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka during that run, one of her biggest victories since returning to the tour following maternity leave.
Her latest US Open victory also arrived one year after she reached the 2025 semifinals in New York, where Amanda Anisimova ended her run in three sets.
Osakaâs outfits have again attracted attention throughout the tournament. Her US Open entrance look paid tribute to NBA legend Allen Iverson, combining a basketball-inspired playing outfit with a dramatic custom robe featuring newspaper clippings from her career.
It follows the jellyfish-inspired outfit Osaka unveiled at the Australian Open, continuing her use of Grand Slam entrances as a form of personal and cultural expression.
Influencer disruption sparks US Open controversy
Osakaâs progress comes amid controversy surrounding a disruption during her first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova.
During the fourth game of the second set, chair umpire Kader Nouni briefly stopped play because people inside a hospitality suite behind him were moving around, talking and taking photographs while Osaka prepared to serve. Video circulating online showed a bright light being used during the disturbance.
Nouni asked the group to take their seats before play resumed. Osaka lost the point following the interruption but eventually defeated Zakharova 7-6(6), 7-6(3).
The incident was widely described online as an example of influencers disregarding tennis etiquette. However, an important distinction subsequently emerged.
A US Open spokesperson told Axios that the people involved in the disruption were not attending on official US Open content-creator credentials. They therefore should not be identified as members of the tournamentâs accredited influencer group without further evidence.
The controversy nevertheless intensified debate about the growing creator presence at major sporting events. The USTA reportedly credentialed close to 100 content creators for the 2026 tournament, almost twice the 54 approved when its creator program began in 2025.
According to the USTA, last yearâs participating creators generated more than 5.5 million social-media engagements. Tournament officials see creators as a way to introduce tennis to audiences that may not regularly follow traditional sports coverage.
The Osaka incident highlighted the other side of that strategy: new audiences and invited guests must understand that movement, conversation, photography and bright lights can distract players during points.
The USTA said such incidents occur infrequently and stressed that chair umpires have the authority to address disruptive spectators. Osaka did not allow the episode to derail her opening match and has now advanced with consecutive victories at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Against Siniakova, the concern was no longer an outside distraction but Osakaâs own mid-match loss of control. Her answer was convincing: five of the final six games and a place in the last 32.
This article may be updated when Osakaâs confirmed third-round opponent, match schedule and complete official statistics are published.
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