Naomi Osaka reveals what she was laughing about with Karolina Muchova in practice ahead of the US Open

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Naomi Osaka has returned to winning ways at the US Open after beating Greet Minnen on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Osaka received a lot of support from the US Open crowd, in her first singles match since the Canadian Open.

This is where the former world number one reached the final, before Osaka received a lot of backlash for her speech in Montreal.

Osaka has played mixed doubles at the US Open, but has now returned to the singles court where she is most comfortable.

Naomi Osaka told Karolina Muchova why she was so glad to be seeded at the US Open

Osaka beat Minnen, 6-3 6-4, to make a convincing start to her US Open campaign.

While the match itself was not particularly noteworthy, the fact that Osaka is seeded at a Grand Slam certainly is.

This is the first time that Osaka has been seeded at a major tournament since the 2022 Australian Open, after being rewarded for her run to the Canadian Open final.

Being seeded means that you are guaranteed not to play another seed until at least the third round, and Osaka was asked about how important this was for her.

In her post-match press conference, Osaka revealed that she had actually joked with 11th seed Karolina Muchova that she was glad not to play her again after being beaten by her at the US Open last year.

“It’s funny I was hitting with Muchova the other day and I was like thank God I don’t have to play you in the first or the second round and she was laughing about it too,” said Osaka.

“But definitely you don’t want to play the big names early on. I think for me I have always been the type of person who eases into it but you have to earn that right, of course.

“Honestly in any given day I am not scared to play anyone, it’s just more that I would like to get my feet wet first before diving in.”

Naomi Osaka’s potential run to the US Open title

Osaka is a two-time former US Open champion, and will have ambitions to recreate that success in 2025.

Despite her Grand Slam pedigree, Osaka has not surpassed the third round of a major tournament since winning the Australian Open in 2021.

However, being seeded appears to have helped Osaka’s chances, with her first potential seeded opponent being Daria Kasatkina in the third round.

Coco Gauff could be a huge hurdle for Osaka to overcome if they both reach the fourth round, but there have been some openings in her half of the draw after Australian Open champion Madison Keys lost in the first round.

Before she can think about any of that, Osaka will take on rising American star Hailey Baptiste in her second round match.

Osaka has every right to feel confident, as she has already beaten Baptiste twice on hard courts already this year.