Column: Naomi Osaka triumphant in return to U.S. Open, inspires special moment with young fan
LA TimesNaomi Osaka returns a shot to Marie Bouzkova during the first round of the US Open on Monday in New York. They stacked up to form an imaginary, teetering pile, contributing to the bouts of depression she disclosed she had been battling since she upset Serena Williams to win the 2018 U.S. Open women’s title. She hadn’t lasted long in the Olympic tennis tournament, Osaka joked in a typically self-deprecating moment during an on-court interview after Monday’s match, so she didn’t have much time to trade pins with other athletes. “Every time a new opportunity arises my first thought is, ‘Wow, why me?’” The remedy, she concluded, is to seek the good in herself and in life and not emphasize the negative. “It’s definitely relieving to win this match in two sets instead of three,” she said.