Playing her best day-in and day-out tennis since winning the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka’s resurgent run to the semis showcased a highly effective mix of power and poise. This was most notable during her Labor Day, round of 16 win over Coco Gauff. Greatly aided by her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, Osaka throughout the tournament was both appropriately focused inside the lines and wise enough to view it with perspective and even humor.
Asked following her semifinal loss to Anisimova what her next Labubu doll would have been, Osaka said, “Oh, my God, the most devastating question. . . Honestly, I’m fine losing, but don’t ask me about this Labubu, man.”
As is the case for Anisimova, Osaka’s next six months intrigue.
Having not gone past the round of 16 at a major this season, it would hardly have been surprising to see Jessica Pegula eliminated early at the US Open. It didn’t go that way at all. Reaching the semis without the loss of a set, Pegula took out a pair of two-time Slam singles winners, Victoria Azarenka and Barbora Krejcikova. For the second year in a row, though, her New York campaign was ended by Sabalenka.
Following that match, Pegula said, “Considering where my summer started and how it was going, how it was trending, I’m happy to walk away with putting in the effort that I was able to put in tonight against, you know, the best player in the world right now.”
Week after week, akin to such accomplished grinders as David Ferrer and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Pegula continues to plug away and impress with her strong work ethic, clean ball-striking skills, and no-nonsense attitude towards competition.
