Naomi Osaka rights the ship to advance in China Open

After three weeks without a match, Naomi Osaka had to shake off the rust in real time.

“It was a little hard to get my bearings because I haven’t played since New York,” said Osaka, who most recently fell in the Round of 16 to eventual champion Elena Rybakina at the U.S. Open. 

The No. 12 seed eventually found her footing on Friday, taking down Maria Timofeeva 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at the China Open.

A champion in 2019, Osaka comes into the Asian Swing full of motivation and healthy energy. It may be the end of the season, but there is still lots to play for, not to mention positive momentum heading into 2027. 

"It's kind of like my home swing,” Osaka said. "I love to be here. I won this tournament before. I'm ending in Tokyo. That I also consider my home. I just want to do well to hopefully have an opportunity to be higher seeded going into Australia.

"I'm definitely going to try my best and just see what happens.”

After taking the first set, Osaka appeared headed for a comfortable straight-set victory. Instead, she stumbled in the second and turned the match into a serious test. But Osaka answered by winning five consecutive games, including two service breaks, to close out the match in dominant fashion.

Osaka attributed the mid-match slump to her layoff.

“I was glad how I regrouped in the third set,” she said. 

In the decisive game, the Japanese star dialed in on Timofeeva’s serve, skyrocketing her return point percentage from just 35 percent in the first two sets to 55 percent. 

Osaka acknowledged her struggles in the middle of the match. 

“I’m the type of player that always thinks it’s about me,” she said. “I think I should have served a lot better, and I think I also gave her the opportunity to be aggressive.”

If she can continue to rally in her home Asian swing, Osaka, currently No. 18 in the WTA standings, still has a chance to sneak into the top-10 at year’s end. 

“I’m definitely going to just try my best and see what happens,” she said. 

For now, she’ll focus on the next round of China Open, with her upcoming match against No. 20 Sara Bejlek on Sunday.

By Jackson West