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Is Naomi Osaka 'too happy' at U.S. Open? Chris Evert says 'that can't always be good'
Naomi Osaka’s comeback season has been pocked by fits and starts as she reacquaints herself with her athleticism and competitive fire. She hasn’t played especially good tennis, but her body language, frequent smiles and playful interactions with fans indicate her state of mind is much better than it was when she walked away from the sport in 2021.
On a conference call to promote the upcoming U.S. Open in New York, 18-time major champion Chris Evert openly wondered whether Osaka can compete anywhere close to the level she established when she won the major in 2018 and 2020.
Is Osaka too content?
“She’s going through some doubtful times,” Evert said. “We’ll see if she can get that magic, because it is the U.S. Open. She has won this title, so let’s see if she can get that magic going. I think her story, her journey, remains to be seen.”
A year after Osaka gave birth to her daughter and eight months into her return to competitive tennis, the 26-year-old who was born in Japan and raised on Long Island seems intent on enjoying the return to Flushing, regardless of the results. She participated in a recent summit in Queens on athletes’ mental health, and said her goal was to feel gratitude for the opportunities she’s had and to take it easy on herself.
“I know she has the game, but it takes more than the game,” Evert said. “It takes a lot of confidence and a lot of focus. We’ll see. She’s in a different part of her life right now where it seems she’s so calm and she’s so relaxed and happy and peaceful.
“The mental problems haven’t really affected her. She has a child, which she is madly in love with. Sometimes when you are too happy, that can’t always be good either, I don’t know, for us to be intense and fierce.”
The perfectionism Osaka relentlessly sought en route to the No. 1 world ranking in 2019 is unrealistic at the moment, and she knows it. She has failed to advance past the quarterfinals at any tournament this year, most recently losing to Ashlyn Krueger in the second round of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open.
Osaka posted a frank assessment of her struggles on Instagram, writing, “My biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body. It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to. I try to tell myself: ‘It’s fine, you’re doing great. Just get through this one and keep pushing,’ mentally it’s really draining though.”
“Internally, I hear myself screaming: ‘What the hell is happening?!’”
Earlier this year she described her struggles a different way, saying, “I kind of felt like I was driving a car that wasn’t mine. It’s kind of tough when you don’t see results as quickly.”
Osaka is ranked No. 85 in the WTA, too low to qualify for the U.S. Open without being granted a wild-card entry into the singles main draw. She is one of eight women who received one.
Evert’s doubts about Osaka are a departure from comments she made in January 2023, when Osaka announced that she was pregnant.
“Naomi has shown us so much compassion and kindness during her career that I think that’s going to translate that into caring for another human being, I think she’s going to be an awesome mum,” Evert said. “I think it’s going to be very freeing for her, in the sense that she can now focus on a human being that is more important than anything else in the world.
“And she’s not just focusing on tennis, the pressures, the expectations, all the challenges that she faced before, the anxiety, I think having a child is the most freeing and the most loving act that can happen to you. It’s going to be very healthy and almost healing for her.”
Evert’s prediction 20 months ago was prescient. Mentally, Osaka seems to be in a good place. It’s just the tennis that needs shoring up, and she says she’s on it.
“During this time, I’ve wondered what do I want out of this whole experience and I realized something,” Osaka wrote on Instagram. “I love the process (though the process doesn’t love me sometimes haha), putting in work every day and eventually having the opportunity to get to where you want to be.
“I know life isn’t guaranteed so I want to do the best that I can with the time that I have; I want to teach my daughter that she can achieve so many things with hard work and perseverance. I want her to aim for the stars and never think her dreams are too big.
“Nothing in life is promised but I realized that I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and give it my best shot ‘til the very end.
“See you in New York.”
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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster.
The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.
Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)
“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”
The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season.
“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’
“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”
Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee.
Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )
But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend.
The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU.
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The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.
Ingold’s deal with the Chargers reportedly is for two years and $7.5 million.
Ingold will be no stranger to the Chargers’ plans on offense. He played the past four seasons in Miami under coach Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Last year he caught eight passes for 52 yards and ran the ball twice in 17 games.
Ingold caught 47 passes for 372 yards and rushed for 34 yards in 20 carries in four seasons with the Dolphins. He also had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
Before his time in Miami, Ingold played three seasons with the Raiders.
The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman. They agreed to terms on a one-year deal with edge rusher Khalil Mack on Saturday.
With the free agency negotiation period set to begin Monday at 9 a.m. PDT, the Chargers remain in strong position to be significant players in the free-agent market. They rank among the top-five teams in salary cap space, per Overthecap.com.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, reportedly broke up with their wedding around the corner.
Prescott and Ramos’ relationship had been “rocky” in the weeks leading up to the breakup and things exploded between the two at their joint bachelor and bachelorette parties, TMZ Sports reported on Saturday.
Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos attend the Farrah Fawcett Foundation Tex-Mex Fiesta on Oct. 30, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Omar Vega/Getty Images for Farrah Fawcett Foundation)
Ramos shared pictures of her trip with her friends on Instagram on Friday.
“I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much,” Ramos captioned the collage of snaps.
Prescott was not pictured in any of the 16 photos and videos posted to her social media account.
Sarah Jane Ramos and Dak Prescott pose for a photo before Dak Prescott’s Faith Fight Finish Foundation Gala on May 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Faith Fight Finish Foundation)
Ramos also posted photos of her bridal shower back on Feb. 23. There were no photos of Prescott in the carousel either.
“The most intimate and beautiful bridal shower of my dreams,” she added on Instagram. “So grateful for my aunts who hosted it and my girlfriends and family that came to celebrate. I love you all so much and can’t wait to marry the love of my life with all of you by my side.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Prescott’s representative for comment.
Prescott posted a series of photos on his Instagram of Ramos and his family on July 20, 2025. There’s only a September advertisement posted on his account since.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos pose on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts on Feb. 5, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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The NFL star and Ramos announced they were engaged on Oct. 18, 2024. The couple have two children together.
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