Teen shocks Tsitsipas; Osaka to take indefinite break after ouster
NEW YORK: Defending champion Naomi Osaka of Japan and Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas were both ousted from the US Open by 18-year-olds in epic stunners on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka was shocked by Canadian lefthander Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 after Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz upset French Open runner-up Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 0-6, 7-6 (7/5). “Honestly the Alcaraz match gave me motivation and gave me the energy to do the same,” Fernandez said. “I saw his match and I saw the way he won and I’m like ‘I’m going to do that next now.’”
After the upset, defending champion Osaka announced she was taking a break from playing. “I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match,” Osaka said, wiping away tears. “I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.”
Osaka, who had won her prior 16 Grand Slam matches, was foiled in a bid for her third US Open crown in four years and the first back-to-back title since Serena Williams in 2014.
Alcaraz is the youngest man in the US Open fourth round since 17-year-old American Michael Chang in 1989, and at any Slam since Ukraine’s Andrei Medvedev in the 1992 French Open. “Incredible. Incredible feeling for me,” Alcaraz said. “This victory means a lot to me. It’s the best match of my career, the best win.”
Osaka had a major meltdown on court during the final moments of the second set after she was unable to hold serve for the victory. “From the very beginning, right before the match, I knew I was able to win,” Fernandez said. “Thanks to New York fans. They helped me get the win.” Osaka, who hadn’t played since Monday thanks to a second-round walkover, took the first set in 37 minutes on her sixth ace. But she was broken in the 12th game of the second set, an errant forehand sending her to a tiebreaker. That began a sequence of repeated racquet smashings as she was humbled in the tiebreak. “I wanted to stay on court a little longer,” said Fernandez, who turns 19 on Monday. Fernandez then hit a forehand winner to break Osaka to start the third set. Osaka saved two break points to hold in the third game and from there both held to the finish, which came after two hours and four minutes, sending Fernandez against German 16th seed Angelique Kerber in her first Grand Slam fourth round appearance. “It’ll be a battle. We’re going to have fun,” Fernandez said.