Osaka recovers after second-set dip to defeat Siniakova at US Open

For the second match in a row at the US Open, No. 13 seed Naomi Osaka had to navigate some twists and turns to advance. The two-time champion recovered after losing a 5-3 second-set lead to defeat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in 2 hours and 2 minutes.

Osaka had needed two tiebreaks to scrape past No. 101-ranked Anastasia Zakharova, who broke the former World No. 1's serve four times, in the first round; after that tussle, she admitted to being "so nervous" during it. Against Siniakova, she did not face a break point through her first seven service games -- but then dropped serve three times in a row before resetting in the decider.

Osaka has now made the third round of the US Open for the eighth time in 10 main-draw appearances. Having also reached that stage of the Australian Open followed by career-best showings at Roland Garros (fourth round) and Wimbledon (quarterfinals), this marks the second time in Osaka's career that the 28-year-old has reached the third round of all four majors in a single season (following 2018).

"I just felt like I had to fight," Osaka said in her on-court interview. "I definitely felt like I had a couple opportunities in the second set and I think I was a little bit too hard on myself. I took the bathroom break, regrouped a little, came back and just tried to have no regrets."

Osaka will next face No. 20 seed Elise Mertens for the 10th time in a rivalry dating back to 2017. Mertens, a two-time US Open quarterfinalist (2019 and 2020), defeated Uzbekistan's Maria Timofeeva 6-3, 7-6(5) to book her place in the third round of a major for the 29th time in 39 Grand Slam main draws. The Belgian also had to steady herself after losing a 5-3 second-set lead, winning the past four points from 5-3 down in the tiebreak.

Osaka leads their head-to-head 6-3, including 4-3 on outdoor hard courts and 2-0 in 2026. Indeed, she has dropped just nine games in their two meetings this year, winning 6-3, 6-3 in the Bad Homburg second round and 6-1, 6-2 in the Toronto third round.

Here's how her victory over Siniakova unfolded in three distinct chapters:

Part one: Osaka dominates for a set-and-a-half

For a set-and-a-half, Osaka was rarely under serious pressure. Not only was her serve impregnable -- she dropped just six points behind it in the opening set -- but her unforced error count was low (just four in the first set). By contrast, neither Siniakova's serve nor the Czech's forehand were at their best. Consecutive forehand errors handed Osaka the first break for 3-1, and consecutive double faults paved the way to another break in the last game of the first set.

Up 3-2 in the second set, Osaka didn't wait for Siniakova's mistakes, though. She hammered a brilliant off backhand winner on her third break point to move up 4-2, with the finishing line in sight.

Part two: Osaka dips, Siniakova seizes opportunity

Osaka held two points for a 5-2 lead, but repeated errors over the baseline suddenly began to creep into her game. One such backhand enabled Siniakova to gain the break back.

The World No. 42 continued to struggle with errors of her own, and was unable to take advantage immediately. Osaka broke again, and had a chance to serve out the win at 5-3 -- but this time, consecutive errors into the net were her undoing.

Now, Siniakova sensed her opportunity. She played her finest tennis of the day to steal the second set, with her backhand down the line providing a trio of crucial -- and crowd-pleasing -- winners. Such was the improvement in her level that Siniakova closed the set out with a winner on the line from her forehand wing, the stroke that had caused her so much grief earlier on.

Part three: Osaka resets, grits out third set

The third-set scoreline belies how tightly contested it was: every game went to at least 30-30. Indeed, Osaka won each of the first three games of the set from a 15-30 deficit.

And she did so with some of her boldest, creative tennis of the day. Up break point at 1-0, a net cord pulled Siniakova out at an awkward angle, but also slowed Osaka's ball and offered the 30-year-old a chance to put the point away on her backhand. But Osaka read it, and reflexed a superb lob over Siniakova's head to break.

At 30-30 in the next game, Siniakova showed off her wheels with breathtaking defense against Osaka's power -- but it was Osaka who came forward to put away a volley on the 19th shot.

Osaka's willingness to move up the court also paid off at 4-1, when she found a terrific angle on a backhand volley to bring up break point again -- duly converted as she struck a hefty inside-out forehand.