This archive report was first published on 4 September 2021.
On September 3, 2021, two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka's title defence came to an abrupt end in the third round of the tournament, as she lost to 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez in a thrilling match.
Osaka, who had been struggling with uneven play since withdrawing from the French Open earlier in the year, was defeated 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4 by Fernandez, a fan favourite in the tennis world.
The third seed's return to Flushing Meadows did not go as planned, as she was seen wordlessly leaving the court after losing her cool in the second set tiebreak. Osaka whacked her racquet and flung it onto the court twice in frustration as Fernandez scored five straight points in the tiebreak.
Osaka did not receive a warning or a code violation, but she did leave the court between sets. Her troubles continued as Fernandez broke her serve to kick off the third set, and Osaka hit a ball into the stands in the second game, prompting a warning from the chair umpire.
In the final set, Osaka rushed through her serves, not even waiting for the crowd to quiet down, as she was unable to create a single break point opportunity.
Fernandez, who fired off 28 winners across the three sets, attributed her victory to finding solutions to the challenges she faced on the court. "She's a great server, she's been hitting aces left, right and centre," she said in a televised interview. "As I was getting closer to the baseline I was like 'Oh, this is where I should be.'"
