Naomi Osaka eases into US Open final four following win over Karolina Muchova

The four-time major champion, who is chasing her third US Open crown, defeated 13th-ranked Muchova 6-4, 7-6(3) in a hard-fought quarter-final contest in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Osaka saved a break point in the opening game of the match and secured the only break of the set with Muchova serving at 4-5. The Japanese star then came back from a break down twice in the second as she survived her 29-year-old Czech opponent serving for the set before winning a tiebreak.

After winning what was the last of the women's singles quarter-finals, Osaka will face world No. 9 Amanda Anisimova in the semi-finals on Thursday night.

In her post-match press conference, Osaka took a playful dig at the scheduling of her match by saying it was "crazy" that organisers "put the mom on last."

"I think for me, I appreciate the journey a lot more now. I think when I was younger, I kind of just kept thinking of the next one, the next one, the next one.

"And obviously, I would love to appreciate everything right now, but, you know, I have a match to play tomorrow. Yeah, so they put the mom on last. That's crazy.

"So, yeah, you know, I'll probably tell you how much I appreciate it at the end of the tournament, which is hopefully on Saturday for me. But regardless, I'm just really grateful to be playing well in this city."

Osaka also revealed what she has learned since returning to the tour at the start of 2024 following the birth of her daughter the previous year.

"Yeah, I mean, I learned I love tennis way more than I thought I did, and I learned that, you know, I actually really love challenges," the 27-year-old explained.

"You know, it's like a video game. You pick it up and even if you lose the level, you kind of just restart and keep going until you eventually win. And I think it's a little tough at some times, but I wouldn't trade it for the world."

By making the last four at Flushing Meadows, Osaka has increased her points tally by 710 to 2,489, which has seen her surge from 24th to 14th in the Live WTA Rankings. Osaka can jump to 11th position if she wins the US Open title, while she is projected to move to 12th is she is a runner-up.

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