Naomi Osaka, of Japan (AP Photo)
13 seed raced through the opening set in 30 minutes and moved 4-2 ahead in the second, but her level dropped sharply as she committed 20 unforced errors after making only four in the first set. Siniakova took the second set 7-5, but Osaka quickly regained control in the decider. She broke for a 2-0 lead before completing a 6-1 final set. Madison Keys survived a major scare, saving five match points before edging Anna Bondar 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (10-5).
“The match was definitely really tough and I don’t know, I just felt like I had to fight,” Osaka said. The USTA has invited a large number of influencers to the tournament as part of its efforts to broaden tennis’s reach and connect with new audiences. Osaka acknowledged the potential benefits but believes there needs to be greater awareness among those attending matches. She added that bringing influencers into the tournament can introduce tennis to audiences who may not otherwise follow the sport. “It could be a good thing for people to make the sport of tennis popular to their specific audience. But I think it has to be managed a lot better, especially in the situation like in my first round match. Osaka’s comments came after she recovered from a mid-match lapse to reach the third round. The No. “I definitely had a couple opportunities in the second set and I think I was a little bit too hard on myself. So I took the bathroom break, regrouped a little, came back and just tried to have no regrets. On the men’s side, Felix Auger-Aliassime became the highest-seeded player to exit so far, losing to Karen Khachanov after struggling with dizziness and vision problems.