Naomi Osaka was rescued by United Airlines after they lost her bags with the risk of missing the Cincinnati Open looming large. Osaka is due to play at the WTA 1000 event ahead of the US Open but expressed concern that she would be unable to compete if she was not reunited with her luggage.
The 26-year-old, who made her return to the court earlier this year after giving birth to her daughter, took to social media to explain the unfortunate incident. She tagged United Airlines in a post on X, formerly Twitter, which read: “United lost my bags and if I don’t get them tonight or tomorrow I literally can’t play Cincinnati.”
Osaka quickly received a response from United’s official account, with the airline saying: “Hi, Naomi. We wanted to let you know we can confirm your bags have arrived in Cincinnati. Please send us a DM so we can finalise the plan to reunite you with your baggage.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion is currently competing in the North American hard-court swing as she prepares for the US Open. She kicked off her campaign at the National Bank Open after receiving a wildcard, ultimately losing to Elise Mertens in the second round.
After beating Ons Jabeur in her opening match, Osaka made it clear that she prefers playing on hard courts over clay or grass. She explained that she has more time to build up points on the surface, with the speed of grass courts not as compatible with her style of play.
“I would never attack my treasured hard court,” she said. “I would say my favourite thing about hard courts, I don’t know, it’s fast, but it’s not too fast. Like, I feel like on grass it’s somehow a little bit reactive, and I obviously couldn’t get used to that quick enough.
“On hard, it kind of gives me at least a second to, I guess, build up the point. I also feel like that might also be the reason why I did better on clay as opposed to grass, just because I do quite like building the point.”
Osaka will be hoping to end her three-year wait for another Grand Slam title by securing an unlikely US Open triumph at Flushing Meadows. She has won the event on two previous occasions, securing her maiden title in 2018 before repeating the feat in 2020.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk