Naomi Osaka advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open after defeating Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Following the two-hour, 38-minute match, Osaka takes on Elena Rybakina on September 7.
Rybakina, the world No. 2, has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows. Fresh off defeating Yuliia Starodubtseva, 7-6, 6-3, Rybakina also in line to usurp Aryna Sabalenka’s long held world No. 1 title should should she make it to the semifinals.
While Osaka, a two-time US Open champion, lost to Rybakina a few weeks ago at the Canadian Open, the 28-year-old is ready for a battle.
“I know she’s one of the best players in the world, so I have no choice but to come with a high level,” Osaka said of Rybakina. “For me, I think that’s when the most exciting tennis is. So I’m actually really looking forward to that match because I’ve played her once before in Toronto, and that was quite recent. I kind of know a little bit of her game.”
Osaka also knows she needs to keep her composure. Amid her struggles on the court against Mertens, she went off on her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski.
Naomi Osaka Took Her Anger Out on Her Coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, Mid-Match at the US Open
Osaka was feeling the pressure in the third round, during which she focused her attention on Wiktorowski, who she started working with in the spring of 2025. However, Wiktorowski has seen this type of frustration boil over before.
With Osaka making her way toward the player’s box in anger, “Play with her, not with me, play with her,” he told Osaka. A video of this interaction went viral on social media.
Fans loved Wiktorowski’s reaction and how he refocused Osaka’s attention during the third set. One woman commented, “Naomi needs someone strict like this.” Another person posted, “Really love their coaching dynamic! Let’s go Naomi!” One X user wrote, “This is frying me 😂. He’s right though.”
Speaking to the media in Toronto last month, the Japanese tennis star said she relied on her coach to set her straight.
“I would say he’s brought out the best tennis, well, I mean, he kind of just tells me the truth all the time,” Osaka said. “Like, obviously we’re in this together, but there are moments where I dip and he’ll like tell me like, Hey, he’s like, You need to get it together, or things like that.”
Naomi Osaka Apologized for Her Behavior Immediately After the Match
Osaka couldn’t believe she defeated Mertens, No. 24, based on the way she was playing. “I’m literally shocked that I won this match. I’m not gonna lie to you,” she said during her on-court interview.
“Thank you guys for staying and cheering me on. There was a certain point where, I don’t know, where I put my entire heart out on the court. I was trying my hardest every single point…
“Honestly, I didn’t feel like I played amazing, and it was really getting me down, like I was very negative on myself. So, I’m really sorry about my behavior. For little kids watching, I’m really sorry… This is my favorite tournament so, I really wanted to play well in front of you guys.
The No. 13 seed admitted she mentally beat herself up during the match. “And in the third set, I was just being really overly critical. And then it like got to a point where I was just like, okay, like just fight for everything.”
Naomi Osaka’s Fight With Coach Goes Viral During US Open