Photo File: Naomi Osaka

In a dramatic and emotional showdown at the Japan Open, former world number one Naomi Osaka dug deep to overcome injury and reigning champion Suzan Lamens, securing a hard-fought place in the quarterfinals.

Playing a singles tournament in her native Japan for the first time in three years, the 27-year-old tennis star prevailed 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-2 in a grueling 2-hour 20-minute contest in the city of Osaka.

After sealing victory with a backhand winner, Osaka bent over, put her hand to her face, and walked to the net appearing to fight back tears – a moment that captivated fans both at home and abroad.

“Emotionally I was going through a lot in this match,” the four-time Grand Slam champion confessed.
“And then in the third set I tried my best to have no regrets.”

Despite taking a commanding 5-0 lead in the final set, the match took a tense turn when Osaka was forced to take a medical timeout due to pain in her left leg. She returned to the court with heavy strapping on her thigh, visibly struggling with movement.

“I couldn’t really move that well,” she said, adding, “It’s not good, but I think I’m a fast healer so it should be OK for my next match.”

Osaka revealed that she had taken painkillers during the match but admitted her injury “doesn’t feel good.” Still, the tennis icon held her nerve and composure to close out the match, despite dropping the next two games after the timeout.

With this victory, Osaka sets up a thrilling quarter-final clash against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian. The match marks another step in her impressive return to form, after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, where she was defeated by American star Amanda Anisimova.

Osaka, who had not advanced to the second week of a Grand Slam since winning the Australian Open in 2021, is now ranked 16th in the world, a sign that the Japanese Nigerian tennis queen is steadily climbing back to the top.

Fans across Nigeria and around the world will be watching closely to see if Osaka can continue her comeback journey and add another title to her glittering career.