Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka said “weight has been lifted off my shoulders” after she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal as a mother at the U.S. Open.
A 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova in Wednesday’s quarterfinal guided twice U.S. Open champion Osaka to her third semifinal in New York and fifth overall at a major.
The 27-year-old, who took a lengthy maternity break following the birth of daughter Shai in 2023, struggled for consistency after returning to the WTA Tour last season. But this season, she has found her sparkling new form.
Osaka reached the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland in the beginning of 2025 and the Canadian Open final in Montreal last month, just days before the U.S. Open.
“I’m really inspired by all the moms on tour,” Osaka said after the match. “But I also have this feeling like I’m not doing good enough or that I’m being left behind.
“And I think when all the moms came back and they did well off the bat, I sort of felt like something was wrong with me. I know that Belinda [Bencic]
made the semis of Wimbledon, so I just really felt like I was losing a race in some sort of weird way.
“So yeah, that was on my mind, but now I’m here and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
Up Next: Naomi Osaka vs Amanda Anisimova
Knocking out Muchova, who had reached the U.S. Open semifinals each of the past two years, Osaka improved her record to 5-0 in Grand Slam quarterfinals. Next up, the former world No. 1 will be facing American Amanda Anisimova in Thursday night’s semifinals.
Osaka has played Anisimova twice, losing both times.
The two meetings took place at Grand Slams in 2022, as Anisimova beat Osaka in straight sets on the Parisian clay at the French Open and registered a come-from-behind victory at the Australian Open, the hardcourt major.
“It’s definitely going to be really tough,” Osaka said of her upcoming semifinal against the eighth seed.
“I’ve played her twice and I’ve lost both times. She’s so talented and she’s able to hit a winner from anywhere. So, I know it’s going to be tough, and I really like her as a person too, so I’m cheering for her.”
“I’m not cheering for her against me, but yeah, it’s going to be fun. Plus, she’s American, and you know, this tournament means a lot to her as well,” Naomi Osaka added.
