Osaka makes nostalgic return; Gauff confident after training well

For Naomi Osaka, returning to the US Open is all about rekindling some childhood nostalgia rather than going back to the scene of her success, the Japanese player said on Aug 24.

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Since returning to action in January after a 15-month maternity break, Osaka has struggled to recapture the form that earned her the US Open title in 2018 and 2020.

In her most recent outing, she went out in the second round of qualifying at the Cincinnati Open.

Born in Japan but raised in New York, Osaka will hope for a better return to the US Open than she had in Australia, where she had also won twice, going out at the first hurdle to Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia.

"I feel like, throughout the year, I have had really hard matches, and it kind of ripped my confidence a little," the 26-year-old told reporters on Aug 24.

"I do think coming to this specific tournament helps me out. But also, whenever I step foot here, I don't really think about the two tournaments I won.