There are certain occasions when a player enters the court knowing fully well that winning is the only option. That’s exactly how 2-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka walked onto the Louis Armstrong Stadium for the first time after giving birth to her daughter Shai.

Her opponent, Jelena Ostapenko, is someone who has the knack of troubling her opponents with her dominant display of tennis but Osaka said ‘Not Today,’ as she showed glimpses of her best form that completely derailed the Latvian off her momentum. In what could only be called a champion display of tennis, Osaka didn’t even hit a single unforced error in the entire first set and ended up winning it, 6-3.

Debuting her Nike kit for the US Open, Osaka had all eyes set on her and she rose to the occasion while wearing that impressive fit. Extending her flawless tennis to the second set, the Japanese star gave no chance to Ostapenko except for a brief hiccup while serving for the match in the 8th game. In the end, it was Naomi Osaka who reigned supreme over Ostapenko, as she notched up a win in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.

Naomi Osaka let her emotions out after a dominating first-round win

What caught everybody’s attention after the match was how Osaka broke down in tears after registering her first top-10 win in over 4 years. The 26-year-old cried into her towel before walking onto the court to speak to Pam Shriver about her feelings post-match.

Even while she was speaking to Pam, Osaka was clearly overwhelmed by the amount of love she received from the fans at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Despite it being a first-round match, the fact that it meant so much to Osaka proved her love for the sport and also reaffirmed the fact that she’s here to stay.

Osaka faces a stiff challenge against Karolina Muchova in the next round, but with her glowing form intact, it won’t be a surprise if Muchova also ends up being a victim to the 4x Grand Slam champion’s dominance on the court. What do you think?