Naomi Osaka navigated a dramatic, three-set match against Elise Mertens on Sept. 5, 2026, to secure her spot in the fourth round of the U.S. Open. The victory, with a final score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, saw Osaka battling back from a precarious position in the decisive set.
Osaka appeared to be in control after winning the first set. However, Mertens gained momentum in the second, breaking Osaka's serve and leveling the match. Osaka's body language and play deteriorated as the match progressed into the third set, marked by unforced errors and audible frustration.
"I was really negative on myself, so I’m really sorry about my behavior," Osaka stated in an on-court interview. "For all the little kids watching, I’m really sorry, but this is my favorite tournament, so I really wanted to play well."
Trailing by a break in the third set, Osaka took a medical timeout, during which her lower left leg was massaged. Following the break, a turnaround occurred as Osaka won 10 consecutive points. She then saved a break point to take a 5-4 lead, ultimately closing out the match.
"Honestly, I can’t believe I won this match," Osaka admitted. "I felt like I put my entire heart on the court. And then I just kept trying every single point and you guys [the crowd] were cheering me on, so thank you so much. I’m literally shocked that I won this match. I’m not even gonna lie to you."
Osaka acknowledged her shaky performance throughout the match, noting, "I thought I was gonna be OK this match but clearly I was really shaky. It took me what, five match points to finish it?"
Prior to this match, Osaka had faced challenging encounters in the early rounds. She required two tiebreaks to defeat Anastasia Zakharova in the first round and went the full three sets against Katerina Siniakova in the second. Her performance against Mertens also featured bursts of strong play rather than sustained dominance.
