Naomi Osaka’s first-round match against Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open 2024 is one of the year’s most talked-about opening-round games. On Tuesday, Osaka will hit the courts in New York for the first time since 2022.
Having fought her way back into the Top 100 after starting the season unranked, she’s now sitting at No. 88 in the PIF WTA Rankings, and this match is a big one for her.
This isn’t a regular first-round match; everyone else seems to think so too. Naomi will be going head-to-head against the 2017 Roland Garros Champion and current world no.10 from Latvia, Jelena Ostapenko. The last time they played against each other was back in 2016, with Osaka coming out on top.
Since then, Ostapenko bagged a Grand Slam title at just 20 years old, and Osaka followed by taking her first US Open win a year later. It was the start of her Grand Slam journey.
In a recent US Open Preview With Nick McCarvel: It’s Time For Tennis In The Big Apple | Inside-In Podcast, Nick McCarvel sat down with host Mitch Michals to discuss the upcoming match of Naomi Osaka vs Jelena Ostapenko.
Osaka’s take on the match against Ostapenko
Osaka is pumped for the match and has shared how excited she is to face Ostapenko. In an interview at the US Open media day, she shared her thoughts about going up against Jelena.
According to her, Jelena and her personalities and play style are complete opposites, which is very evident on the court, adding to the excitement of their showdown.
She also added that she has a lot of respect for Ostapenko, as she was the first in their generation to achieve a Grand Slam victory, raising the bar for other players.
