Sports
Naomi Osaka and the gravity of a superstar at the U.S. Open
NEW YORK — On Tuesday afternoon, the world No 88, in the U.S. Open main draw as a wildcard, destroyed the 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the U.S. Open first round.
In theory, that sounds like a shock win, but the wildcard in question is Naomi Osaka, a two-time champion here and one of the biggest draws of the tournament.
Osaka may be a natural introvert, but she has the gravity of a superstar, even as a wildcard. From her sensational outfit — which on Tuesday included a customised green tennis dress and a large green bow on her jacket — to her eye-catching power, she had enough to pummel Ostapenko into a 6-3, 6-2 defeat in just over an hour.
Naomi Osaka produced an almost error-free display of tennis to dispatch Jelena Ostapenko (Robert Prange / Getty Images)
Flushing Meadows is most associated with her two greatest triumphs. She won the U.S. Open title here in 2018 and 2020, beating Serena Williams in the first final on a famously tempestuous occasion — through no fault of Osaka’s — to announce herself as a star. But three years ago, it was the site of a breaking point. She threw her racket on multiple occasions and received a code violation for firing a ball into the crowd during an excruciating defeat to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. When asked about what happened, she said: “I’m not really sure why.”
“Recently, I feel very anxious when things don’t go my way,” she said.
In the three years since, during which Osaka has continued to transcend tennis for her openness to discussing its impact on her mental health, Osaka had not won a match at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
She returned to the sport in late December after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, and upon beating Ostapenko she looked to the sky as tears flowed, overcome by the emotion of her first victory in New York since 2021. There was a lot to process, but what actually set Osaka off went back to her childhood.
“It was a combination of a lot of different things,” she said after her victory.
“I grew up here, so just seeing kids, and then remembering my daughter, but also seeing kids coming and watching me play… And just remembering that I was a kid, I guess a long time ago, made me very emotional,” Osaka said.
Her mind also went back to this time last year when with her daughter not even two months old, Osaka watched on from the stands as Coco Gauff got on her way to winning the title. Osaka didn’t know then whether she could reclaim the level that made her a champion here twice, took her to world No 1, and brought her two more Grand Slam titles, both in Australia.
That feeling has carried on throughout much of 2024, which saw her begin her comeback after 15 months away from the tour on New Year’s Eve. The first half of the season included some promising results, including a barnstorming French Open clash with world No 1 Iga Swiatek, but the last few months have been tough. They have prompted introspection.
After a disappointing loss in the Cincinnati qualifiers to Ashlyn Krueger, Osaka again opened up.
“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses, though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body.”
Osaka, laying down on Arthur Ashe after winning the title in 2020, has opened up about her struggles in returning to tennis (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
It was a startling admission and perhaps reflected the pressure Osaka was feeling. Throughout the year, the message from those close to her had been that the former world No 1 should be judged not on the promise of the clay and grass swings, in which she found her feet, but during the summer hard-court season.
On her favourite surface, Osaka would come alive.
“It’s almost, like, you have a deadline and you’re crunching at midnight to try to make it,” Osaka said on Tuesday about the narrowing window she has to deliver on hard courts this year. Until Tuesday, her best individual performance had remained that stunning night match at the French Open, where she held a match point against Swiatek. In the two biggest hard-court events ahead of the U.S. Open, Osaka lost in the second round at the Canadian Open and then failed to qualify for Cincinnati.
Even giving herself the grace of returning to the tour after giving birth, Osaka was impatient and concerned. She likened her discomfort on court to how she had felt in general postpartum. Desperate to feel herself again in competition, on Tuesday that feeling returned.
The Louis Armstrong Stadium fizzed with anticipation after Osaka’s two-year absence. A striking matchup against Ostapenko, a top-10 player who can come alive on the biggest occasions — and has an unbeaten record against Swiatek — only added to the feeling that this match, like Osaka and Swiatek’s second-round encounter in Paris, would befit a late-stage occasion rather than an opener. Osaka, world No 88 or not, retains the gravity of all she has done in the sport no matter her ranking.
The match started evenly, but from the moment Osaka broke at 4-3 in the first set, the outcome was never in doubt. She started to hit her forehand with increasing freedom and venom; Ostapenko, a former French Open champion, had no answer.
GO DEEPER
How should a world No 1 be? Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka have an idea
Osaka celebrated points with loud “come ons” and fist pumps and the crowd matched her noise and energy. In what was an outstanding exhibition of controlled aggression, she didn’t lose her serve throughout and banged down nine aces to secure a first win over a top-10 opponent for more than four years. After Osaka had clinched the victory with a cross-court forehand winner, she sat down and covered her face with a towel as the tears poured out.
“Just seeing the stadium really full, it meant a lot because I was, like, ‘Oh, I hope people come watch me play,’” she said afterwards.
She followed up that piece of disarming modesty by laying down the gauntlet in the most softly spoken and understated way imaginable.
“I feel like for me, this court is my home — it gives me so much more confidence.”
She also had extra motivation to beat Ostapenko on Tuesday, knowing that if she did, she would get the chance to wear the other outfit she had ready for the tournament. “That was very important to me,” Osaka said with a smile.
Where this run will lead is in question. Osaka next faces last year’s semifinalist Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, with another opportunity for a statement victory. Before all of that, she can soak in a win against a top-tier opponent and the U.S. Open can once again revel in the gravitational pull of a tennis superstar.
(Top photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images)
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
-
Austin, TX4 minutes agoMan shot and killed by police after pointing gun at people in Austin, Texas
-
Alabama11 minutes agoAlabama has Talent returns with local connection
-
Alaska14 minutes agoAlaska Sports Scoreboard: July 11, 2026
-
Arizona19 minutes agoCardinals Mailbag: Latest on Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck, and Arizona’s QB Future
-
Arkansas26 minutes agoArkansas tips its hat to blues pioneer Larry “Totsie” Davis in England dedication
-
California29 minutes ago‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite surfaces in California as health officials fear statewide surge
-
Colorado34 minutes agoThis Quiet Colorado Town Is An Underrated Gem For Nature Lovers
-
Connecticut41 minutes agoCar catches fire in Trumbull
