Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1, suffered a surprising loss in the qualifying rounds of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open to Ashlyn Krueger. This defeat came as a shock to many, as Osaka was leading 3-1 in the deciding set before ultimately falling to Krueger by a score of 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. This marked Osaka’s first time playing in a qualifying round since February 2018.
In response to her loss, Osaka may consider playing in upcoming tournaments in Cleveland or Monterrey to gain more match experience before the US Open, which is set to begin on August 26th. Despite this setback, Osaka has shown promising signs of improvement this season and has successfully re-entered the top 100 rankings.
Reflecting on her performance, Osaka expressed her willingness to do “whatever it takes” to reclaim her status at the top of the tennis world. This determination led her to enter the qualifying rounds in Cincinnati, a decision that she had not made since competing in Doha in early 2018. Despite her initial lead in the third set, Osaka’s game began to falter, allowing Krueger to bounce back and secure a spot in the main draw.
Meanwhile, British No. 3 Harriet Dart secured her place in the main draw of the Cincinnati Open with a solid win over world No. 58 Elina Avanesyan. Dart’s victory adds her to a list of British players, including No. 1 Katie Boulter, who will be competing in the main draw.
As the tennis world eagerly awaits the return of top players like world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati, the unexpected results in the qualifying rounds serve as a reminder of the unpredictability and competitiveness of the sport.
