Greet Minnen vs. Naomi Osaka Full Match | 2025 US Open Round 1

Greet Minnen vs. Naomi Osaka Full Match | 2025 US Open Round 1

50 love. So contrasting recent form I think it’s fair to say for these two. Saka of course would have liked to win in Montreal but a run to the final should give her a lot of confidence where her game is. Boosted her ranking to current position of 24 in the world of course has been the world number one. Seated 23 here. I always think Jill when you’re in min shoes though hasn’t won a match since Eastport in the week before Wimbledon. The early stages are so important to try and build some confidence. Definitely. I think it was unfortunate that she wasn’t able to play Wimbledon because of that back injury. And I think because of that, when you come back and try and compete and perform, depending on how you’re feeling, there can always be maybe a little doubt of how the body’s going to respond, especially when you’re coming to the hardcourt surface, which which could be a little bit more pounding on the body. It’s not necessarily the most comfortable when you’re coming back from an injury. So, you start to have that little doubt. And I think you’re right. I think the beginning stages of this match in particular is going to be very important. 30 god. I think this is the good news for men and two is um the variety that she can bring. So if she tries to go toe-to-toe with Osaka from from the baseline, that’s not working it. She can at least throw that slice that you just saw there just to to mix things up, give a little different rhythm for Osaka. Again, plenty of power on that back hand as well. That’s a nice first game there for M. Should just help settle her into this contest for Asaka. The news in her world is a new coach. It’s been a little bit of change of late was working with Wimhazette of course and then uh Patrick Moratogu came on board at the start of the year that relationship ended and and in the last few weeks she started working with Thomas Victorski who uh well most recently was the coach of course of Egos Fiontech for three or four years there. three or four very successful years. Also very uh experienced coach having worked with a Radanska top Polish player in her career. That relationship started in Montreal and I think it’s fair to say it was a positive start the run to the final. Just love to hear from you Jill and indeed Andrea you know having been around the tour and maybe seen Thomas you know the work he’s done with players just what you think he might bring to the table well I think I think he’s very direct from what I’ve seen and I think Osaka loves that. I think, you know, she likes that he just cuts to the chase, gets right to the point, and she basically said that’s something that she really appreciates him about him as a coach, but the the the player has to buy into that as well. And I think sometimes when you hear a new voice, you feel like or on when you see on paper, you think it’s going to work. You’re not necessarily sure. But when you finally when you hear that voice and it works and there’s Thomas right there on the right of your screen. But I think it it was a fresh perspective for her. I think something that maybe she didn’t even realize that that she needed was someone that was pretty direct for her. Doing things right with an ace there. And Andrea, I’m going to assume you probably played against Thomas Vicaroski as a coach. I did. I played against Naomi without Thomas. I played against Thomas with different players. And he’s annoying. He’s very annoying. He’s very good tactically. He’s That means he’s a good coach. If he’s annoying to play against. Exactly. You know what? He’s very good when it comes to game plans and tactical the tactical aspect of the game. I mean, you could really see that in Montreal because that’s not a lot of work you can do. He just arrived in Montreal. She had to play a match right the next day. But tactically, you can give your player strategic elements. And Naomi was very disciplined in Montreal on her run to the final. It’s a little weward. Quite settled in as yet. Oh, he’s kind of bouncing around, isn’t she? Trying to keep the the energy high. Oh, it’s brilliant. Well, it was a great scramble from minute in that forehand corner and I felt like she was in trouble, but she actually hit a very good shot down the line with a lot of pace that Naomi was very quick, so balanced on that backhand to redirect. back and made to work a little but ultimately comes through an opening holder of serve to level things up [Applause] one game. Couple of adjustments to the the outfit for a sack and not quite as many. It looks like roses in the hair to me roes. I think it’s pretty. I like it. But we’re in match mode now. That’s an interesting one. As you said, Jill, that slice from Minute to the Asaka forehand in particular. I think that’s definitely a play she has to use when she has the opportunity. That time it was right in the center of the court, but she kept it short and low. Not a bad idea to try and force Osaka to come forward. Oh, wonderful court play. Well, she knows she has to pick and choose when to come into the net because a saka can be dangerous even when she’s on the run. If she connects well, she can have great passing shots, still hit with good speed and depth. So, Minan’s got to pick the right moment to take that ball out of the air. That was perfect [Applause] 15. [Applause] 30. [Music] first double. Just taking her time here. Needs to be careful. It’s been a a relatively bright start for Menon so far. Last thing she wants to do is give her service game away here. The second serve was close to going long. The forehand was well beyond the baseline. What a smart return from Osaka though. Big point at 30 all to get that opportunity to break. Just goes hard down the center of the court. Just rushing men. big hitting phenomena. The two-handed backhand doing the damage. Some pretty good acceleration through that forehand from Yeah. already feels to me that the the good stuff from Minute is very good. Just a question of how consistent she can be with it. That’s right. Yeah, I think the consistency is going to be big. She knows she can play powerfully off the baseline, but she’s got to do that three or four shots in a row. Naka is crunching the ball. And Naomi likes having that first strike, too. And I think it’s important for Min to maybe try and take that away from her when she can take a little bit more risk in her case. There’s the new addition to the team, Thomas Victorski. Believe it’s a a sort of trial basis at the moment, but the way things are going, well, certainly the way Montreal went. Yeah, exactly. Might be at the negotiating table soon. 15. I think it’s a good game plan too when you in the beginning of a match when you get any second serve to take advantage of it right out of the gates if you can just to apply that pressure from the start. Yeah, just one of five second serve points won by Osaka so far. And she took a bit off that first serve. Took a bit of pace off. That was a great reaction from Min to notice that this was a slower first serve. Trying to get the first serve in here. 30. Break point saved. [Applause] Second opportunity here for the Belgian. who finds another minute. Brilliant backhand down the line and that’s a nice response from Minnon. Two guns on how good was that combination that short crosscourt angle off the court on the return and you could see Naomi slide forward to that shot because she didn’t want to come into the net. She didn’t want to get transition forward too much and then started backpedaling and it was just a great shot down the line as a good combination from Minan. Just a reminder to head over to usopen.org to keep up with all the goings on here from New York. Check out all the social channels as well. 15. And guys, it’s really strange to say, but great men is hitting the ball harder than Naomi Osaka in the last four, five points or so. It looks like there is a bit of a handbreak in Naomi’s arm right now that she needs to release because Great Menon is playing too well for her to drop anything short. [Applause] Yeah, chose not to play in Cincinnati. Osaka prioritizing freshening up for this event. So, first match for couple of weeks since that final witho in Canada. But as Andrea says, that’s too good. Yeah, getting out here at the moment. 135. I also think Minan right now is getting better length on her shots than Osaka. You can see how far back behind the baseline she was able to push Naomi in that rally. 40 15 minute has uh one win over a top 20 player in her career. That was against Garbin Mugara. 2022 Wimbledon first run. Saka just outside the world’s top 20 at the moment, but on recent form certainly a player to watch coming in here to to New York. Yeah, this time with Saka dominating the court. 143. I think she creates so many opportunities for herself with that backhand in particular. Osaka is so good at using that left arm to be able to get the angle to open up the down the line. Stop. Let’s second serve. Thank you. [Applause] So Saka here able to recovering the game. Back to Juice. Looking as keen as ever to make something happen, but again, Min comes forward. Osaka was there. It was just a really good penetrating approach shot from Min. She doesn’t look tense or nervous at all. just very calm or lacking in confidence. No. Reminder, she hasn’t won a match since June. Not played because of a back injury. Return to the tour Cincinnati and in Cleveland last week. First round losses in both. game. [Applause] So now Osaka not having things her own here on serve here. Osaka 23. Oh, unstoppable. Love it. She’s definitely done a great job so far in this match of anything that’s been off pace from Osaka. Even just a little bit, she’s attacked and very successfully. Andrea, you’re up close and personal with M at that end of the court. Is she uh as confident as she looks? She is definitely. She her shoulders are nice and back. She looks very confident and calm on her face. But being here, you can very much see that she requires a bit of time for her shots. And Osaka deciding to play it safe here on first serve and on ground strokes is actually a bad game plan against Min because that time that extra time that she needs, she’s getting right now. And that’s why she’s playing so well. 40 15. Yeah, both you Jill and Andrea have said a sack player with real discipline in Montreal. It’s Vic Garowski’s calling card. Just wonder if she needs to find that balance between sort of the discipline but her power game. using the big weapon, the serve. Nice second serve there and able to come through the hole pretty comfortable in the end. Yeah. I wonder how do you feel Jill about Naomi taking off pace from her first serve? Do you prefer her to go for a first serve even if she misses a few or do you want her to make some first serves? I wouldn’t mind seeing her going after it a bit more. I was just looking at her fastest serve so far today is 113 miles an hour. Still relatively quick, but I know she has a a lot more she can get a lot more power behind it on average. Yeah, the average 103 at this moment. We’ll keep an eye on that. Big game here for a minute, you would think. That’s the sort of tennis we’ve come to expect from Nyosaka. Low 15. Felt like those two forehands looked a lot calmer from Osaka and had some intention behind it. She went for a little bit more higher, heavier ball than her average rally ball. So was thinking very clearly about tactically how to change it up in that point. I think now getting better length in my opinion in those in these last couple rallies just finding her ground strokes closer to the baseline. Yeah, just starting to to crank things up here. Really starting to apply some pressure to the min serve. Let’s stop service. [Applause] 15 something. She’s there. It looked a good drop shot from Menon, but Aaka had the answer. Well, she got very quick up to that drop shot. That was impressive. I to me it seemed like an area of improvement for Osaka. I didn’t think she was getting here, J. Yeah, I didn’t either. And the way she handled it, too. She had to hit up on the ball, but was still able to get enough pace on it to cause problems for a minute. That was quick. Yeah, it brings up a couple of break points. Big point there for a difference. Now Saka burning rubber under the lights. New balls, please. And she’ll be feeling a lot better about things now. Four games of three. Lucky to be inside Lewis Armstrong for a look at twotime champ Naomi Osaka. New balls in play. 59 is going to enjoy that. 150. [Applause] 135. Brilliant angle there on our third ace. Sandy seems to be A great return for both players actually in this matchup. That deep center ball, it takes away the angle that both Osaka and Minon like to create. 143. Last year here was a wildcard entrance. Had a first round win over Yolena Ostapenko. but then lost in the second round to Karolina Muhova who we saw uh beat Venus Williams last night. Entertaining match that one. It’s amazing to me. We mention it. Saka has won four slams, the last of which 2021 Australian Open. She hasn’t been past the third round since in a major. So a player of her quality now. She had some time out of the game, became a mother and some other stuff going on. But yes, I I mean obviously her life completely changed after that. Then became a mother had took a little bit of time for maternity leave and I think it just took her a while actually she’s been outspoken about you know me mental health as well and just took her a while to I think get that security in her game again. again. How’s that? Consolidates the break and still just 27 years old. So, still has a lot of time. three. I think the other thing that she she was mentioning as well is how she would almost was like trying to find her identity again, which I thought was interesting cuz when she won those four slams, you felt like she had such a clear picture of player she was under a complete understanding of herself and her game and then all of a sudden she felt like that that wasn’t the case and but I like the fact that she spoke about it. Um and the you know it’s always a process for sure trying to to find yourself You wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if she goes on to have another sort of two three year period where she starts to contend again. Yes, definitely. Love 15. Men just needs to be careful here. She’s played some good tennis, but uh just in danger of sort of falling out of the match slightly at this stage. Little bit of the spring gone from her step. Wasn’t missing those four hands earlier. Exactly. Now 13. Yeah. And at courtside, it just looks like those little adjustment steps have just become a bit imprecise in the last 10 minutes or so, where in the beginning she was so springy. I know that’s not an adjective, but I It’s a good description. I think you know what I mean. Yes. It’s amazing how the scoreboard, Andrea, just affects the the energy level, isn’t it? Falls behind and suddenly it’s it’s harder. Love fing starting to show the frustration [Applause] having led 3-2 Then faces three set points here. Foraka didn’t have things all her own way particularly in the early stages. Six games. will be happy to have got on. Right in saying it’s the New York Mets still, isn’t it? Yes, you’re correct. Well done. I play a lot of baseball in Scotland. I’m not sure we play any. Have you been to a baseball game? I have. I have. It’s I enjoy it actually. Yeah. It’s too windy out there and too wet, too rainy. [Applause] just looks so good when she’s dictating from the middle of the court. Also handling the slice better. Just staying a little bit more calm on that slice, not trying to to rush it. That was tricky because it was such a mishit on the return from Min that took a little bit of a funny bounce. Osaka did her best trying to adjust the feet. Just got a little tangled. [Music] That handb break her muscles seem to have melted. There is no tension in them. And there’s the results are really felt on the court for men. She just has less time. Love 15. Min not been able to win a game since uh moving ahead 3-2 in the first. She feels like she could really do with a hold of serve here. SP. [Applause] These are the moments where as a player, you know, you’re short on matches, you’re short on wins. You really start to feel it. You feel it. Yeah. I I mean, I feel like now it’s in her head. These mistakes that are accumulating just almost thinking too much right before she’s about to hit her shot about the fact that she might be under pressure pressure where she needs to hit the shot instead of just having that freedom she had at the beginning. love. I think like Andrea said, it’s that feeling of the ball just coming back so much quicker that I feel like Min’s almost reacting now instead of getting those couple extra steps to get balanced, to to get planted. Four errors in the game for Minute and that is now six games in a row. Phenomenal has all the momentum here on Armstrong. Yeah. And you can see how that flat forehand of Minan who is now near her coach’s box and trying to get a bit of encouragement or tip. But that flat foreign of hers that was giving Naomi trouble in the beginning, now that Naomi’s depth has gone up is actually hurting men because she can’t get it quite over the net anymore. [Applause] Love 15. It’s football. Well, that’s too bad that unforced error for a minute cuz that was a well set up point. Got the exact shot that she needed, but now the pressure of just feeling like she has to do extra on the ball to get it past Osaka created that error. 15 in the bottom half of the draw here. Winner of this match will play the winner of uh Baptist and Sinakova. Other seed in this little mini section is the the 15th seed area Kasakina who’s already through to round two. She’ll take on Rakamova. That’s big hitting 13. [Applause] That is a perfect target for Osaka right into the corner. [Applause] Double the winners now. Really being able to impose her game on this match. Feel [Applause] like men’s starting to get better. Yeah. Starting to find at least a little bit more consistency in this game. advantage. Better signs for Milan. I’d agree. And here’s a little chance just to to get the break back. Can’t find that little slice. Just trying to hang in the point. She was in the point. Just didn’t quite get up to that last ball. Landed shorter than she expected. advantage on couple of miles an hour off for quickest of the night there. won 111. The fifth ace always been a big weapon for Osaka. [Applause] Mannon did well there to just scramble and scrap her way over to the backhand to force one extra ball for Naomi. She just stopped moving. Yeah, Jill, we need to get you working on that the Osaka net game. You’d have made that work. You’re better at that than I am. Our serve’s gotten her out of trouble so far in this game. Don’t think she’s serving as well as she normally does right now. Less than 60% first serve percentage, but right now it’s she’s needed at most. She’s been able to get out of trouble. So, a bit more power behind that shot for Min. Yeah. And Andre, it seems like Min’s hitting the ball more like she did the first five games. Yes. And she’s hitting it very, very flat. So, you can see when Nomi doesn’t. And she keeps pointing to her knees like, “Bend your knees, go low.” The moment she doesn’t go low, she gets trouble with those flat shots of minutes. But you’re so right, Jill. Her ball toss from the side. I’m now exactly on the line where Naomi is serving. Her toss is always the same. It doesn’t budge an inch. And so that’s why she’s been able to serve big in important moments. Yeah. can’t get out of the game just yet though. Struggling to this ad side. [Applause] But the serving to the juice has been impeccable. Let’s go. [Applause] almost as if she’s lost a bit of her feel, a bit of a rhythm from the back of the court here. Just maybe needed to get that out. I think that that’s said more than we ever could. How about how she’s feeling just clipping the outside of the line there. What a great shot. Actually moved around and to take that back hand. I think it was just reaction. It was the quickest way that she could get out of the way of that ball, but good control. So the money game stops at six. Frustration for Asaka, but that’s a good effort from two games to one second set. Not going to go down final here. And she’ll sit down back on serve in this second set. Just felt like Minim was able to just flip her mindset just in time there. You know, at setting two love she was looking pretty negative. Yeah, I agree. It just slowly I think started getting better and better and then the confidence started to accumulate as that game went on. And I think also a couple mistakes from Naomi. And I think the longer that game went, the more difficult it became for Osaka just to try and close that out. She actually started getting more on her back foot, started just trying to get the ball in the court, hoping to get through that game somehow. So, credit to Menon to step up. Time. So, we’re back on serve here in the second set. Under the lights. Oh, Lewis Armstrong doesn’t get much better. couldn’t get there this time. That’s a nice touch from the Belgian. It’s great close at the net from Menon. 50 left. Love that she doesn’t hesitate too. Just doesn’t wait to see how good her approach shot is. Just immediately charges forward. and and and where we saw Asaka sort of hesitate in the previous game. It’s natural for Minute, isn’t it? Moving forward. Exactly. She’s won five of seven net points. Might want to look to get forward a little more often if she can. 15. [Music] didn’t miss by much, but just pushed wide. I do like the way she went after that, though. Was aggressive. maybe could have been a little bit of a slap sometimes, but I I do like the fact that the aggressive mind that that that she had on that on that ball. It feels like the kind of forehand she she is better off going for it though. Yes. Probably rings true for for all players, but you know, particularly for Min who hits the forehand very flat. I feel like she has to kind of really accelerate and go for it. If she slows down, it’s trouble. Yeah, I agree. Left for service. It’s well watched. Return could have been awkward. 1430. [Applause] What a game that was for minimum. Big tennis again. two games, second set. It’s amazing because I I just think back to how important that service game was from Osaka up to love and the very very long game and it’s just g gave men a little bit uh of an opening to get back. Head over to usopen.org org. It’s online home for point by-point live scoring, highlights, real-time stats, everything you could possibly need, all the information on this great tournament. And Naomi really has a chance to remedy something here because in the Montreal final, this is exactly where things started to go horribly wrong. She was up 62, one all, two break points to go up to one. Couldn’t use it and she completely panicked and lost the match. So this feels almost like a test, like a mental test for Nomio Saka to be put back into the same situation. on a big stage and now she can remedy that. What went wrong in Montreal? Yeah, won that first set against Victoria in Boo, the young Canadian as Andrea says, ahead early in the second, but losing sets two and 364 61 and Bo incidentally losing first round here in New York. Tough draw against Babora Kikova, very experienced Grand Slam champion. That’s a nice little three against two seconds. I think overall approaching the ball a lot better and just the way she’s moving with a lot more confidence as she’s moving up to the ball. 13 love. [Applause] Jordy made more errors 10 Osaka than she made uh in the entirety of the first set. Just a feeling that Lennon has improved, but a sac has dropped off a little since that two love lead. There’s another level. It’s so important. Yeah, it’s so important for Osaka to stay focused here. You can easily think back to a game like that, that service game where you could think you could have been up three love instead of 2-1. It’s completely different feeling. Game minute. Three games. Second set. Plenty of encouragement there from the team. No wonder it’s a cheap game from Osaka. Maybe just a a window of opportunity here for the Belgian trying to make something happen. Love 15 backhand in particular is really gone off. Yeah. And she’s lost discipline on it, right? She’s now going down the line back hands that just remember that one that she almost hit into the post here. Just going up the line when there is no need to do that. lost a bit of clarity here in what she wants to do. Love moments like these where maybe a word from your your coach, your team can just help refocus. Of course, new coach. Here he is, Thomas Victorski. He’s not giving too much away at this stage. My goodness, this is completely unraveling. I was thinking just the last few points he’s lost a little bit of patience. Almost wanting to end the point so quickly. That one was just a complete loss of focus on that one. She was so good, I think, at the end of the first set and the beginning of the second Osaka of being willing to rally those four or five shots back back and forth, especially with some good pace. But now, I think that change of direction that Andrea was talking about, just trying to produce something that doesn’t necessarily need need to do that. [Music] just wonder if it’s focus as well. 3-2 down in the first wins six games in a row for set and two love. Easy for the mind to start thinking the job is done. Yeah, true. That was the feeling. Minimum was very down at that stage, but she’s got a third break point here. again. There is another break of serve for great men. Let’s see if Osaka can raise her level again. 59 looking for the back hand down the line. It’s another error. 15th unforced error of this set to just four winners. First set was 12 winners, nine unforced. Shows you how uh different things have been. 15. 15 30 Much more like it for much more relaxed. I just didn’t feel like she was panicking or rushing too much. Just really calm at the baseline. Yeah, whatever she’s told herself at the change of ends, it’s uh seemingly done the trick. And just like that, now is back on serve in this second set. Much more intensity, much higher quality with her play. Second set. That was just a good example of some mental strength in my opinion from Osaka. The way she was able to just buckle down, almost flipped a switch in that game and and looked much more together. Probably gave herself a bit of a telling off I think the sit down. Interesting style Andrea from her coach Thomas Victorski because it hasn’t appeared to us up here in the booth that he’s necessarily said much. It was more Nomi I think figuring that out by herself. 59. Yeah, you’re right. He’s only ever said anything if she has gone to the box and deliberately asked for a tip. So clearly they have talked about this and she doesn’t want to be overwhelmed or it’s his style whichever way but he has only said things when she wanted things to be said to her. I think that’s probably more his style thinking when he was with I agree with pretty quiet in the box. Yeah considered Yep. No panic from coach and the 15. Looks like he already understands his uh his new player pretty well because uh this has been a good response just when was looking in some trouble turns things around and a game away from getting the win here on Armstrong. That back hand down the line has been a real weapon throughout. Another beauty. 15. She went back to her strength backhand across court for Osaka. It’s fine margins for a minute. Couple of errors putting her behind in in the count here, but got to keep going for her shots. This time she finds the back hand down the line. What a change of direction there. What a time to produce it and Armstrong goes wild for Asaka. 154. Incredible turnaround here. Couple of match points for the former champ. Then Saka celebrates under the lights of Louis Armstrong. She’s through to the second round. Bit of an up and down performance to come through against the Belgian great minute. She’ll be happy with the way she knuckled down from 4-3 down in the second set in particular. Relationship with new coach Thomas Victorski is is blooming nicely. It’s a straight sets win in the end. 63 64 for the 23rd seed this year.

Watch the full match of Greet Minnen vs. Naomi Osaka in Round 1 of the 2025 US Open.

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The 2025 US Open runs from August 18 – September 7 in New York City at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The tournament takes place for the 145th time and is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year. Last year, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka claimed the men’s and women’s singles titles. It was both Sinner and Sabalenka’s first US Open title and third Grand Slam title. This year, at the US Open, we’re set for another spectacular tournament as the world’s best tennis players head to New York. Look out for highlights, extended highlights, full matches, press conferences, on-court interviews, hot shots, compilations and more!

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