Naomi Osaka squeezes into US Open third round

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns the ball to Katerina Siniakova, of the Czech Republic, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

NEW YORK–Two-time champion Naomi Osaka survived a second-set swoon to beat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 on Thursday and reach the third round of the US Open.

The Japanese 13th seed looked in total control against her Czech opponent, racing through the first set and to a 4-2 lead in the second without facing a break point.

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But as Osaka’s unforced errors began to pile up — 20 in the second set compared to four in the first — doubles world number one Siniakova pounced.

Serving for the match at 5-3, Osaka was broken — the fourth straight break of serve in the set still leaving her 5-4 up.

But Siniakova kept pressing and broke a clearly frustrated Osaka for a 6-5 lead on the way to forcing a third set.

Osaka regrouped in the decider, riding a quick break to a 3-0 lead and fending off a pair of break points in the fifth game to make it 4-1 before breaking Siniakova one more time.

“The match was definitely really tough,” Osaka said.

“I just felt like I had to fight. I definitely had a couple of opportunities in the second set, and I think I was a little too hard on myself,” said Osaka, who next faces Belgium’s Elise Mertens, a 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) winner over Maria Timofeeva of Uzbekistan.

“I took the bathroom break, tried to regroup,” Osaka added. “I just told myself that it’s an honor to play on this court.”