Osaka Battles Through Frustration to Reach Citi Open Semifinals in Washington

Naomi Osaka advanced to the semifinals of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington following a demanding three-set comeback against Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The Japanese third seed recovered from dropping the opening set to clinch a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in two hours and 11 minutes, setting up a potential matchup against either Elina Svitolina or Alexandra Eala.

A Rocky Start and Frustration

Osaka's performance reflected her own assessment: the match was rough from the opening moments. She dropped serve in the first game and, despite breaking back immediately, surrendered her serve again later in the set to lose 6-4. The opening set frustration boiled over during the second set, when Osaka uncharacteristically hurled her racket onto the court and kicked it away—a rare display of emotion from the typically composed competitor.

Her service numbers told part of the story, with Osaka landing just 47.7% of her first serves while converting only five of 12 break-point opportunities. Yet despite these statistical struggles, she managed to find her rhythm after the first set, winning the second and third frames to secure the comeback win.

Building Momentum Toward the US Open

The semifinal berth marks Osaka's second of the season, following her runner-up finish at the Bad Homburg Open. After receiving a first-round bye, Osaka's campaign began when her initial opponent, American Ashlyn Krueger, was forced to retire while trailing 6-3, 3-1. Osaka later expressed disappointment over the abbreviated contest, noting her desire to accumulate match play before the US Open.

Cocciaretto delivered exactly the competitive test Osaka sought. The Italian had impressed earlier in the tournament, defeating Clara Tauson and Emma Navarro to reach the quarterfinals. During her on-court interview, Osaka acknowledged the difficulty while praising her own resilience. "In the second, I just wanted to give it my best shot even though I wasn't playing too good," she said, adding that her primary focus was to "fight and compete as hard as I could."