Naomi Osaka saved herself from another heartbreaking exit, closing out a narrow 6-2, 7-6 victory over Clara Tauson at the Canadian Open to make the tournament's final round. The win in straight sets lands Osaka a WTA 1000 final for the first time in three years.
Osaka took to Instagram to express how she felt about the best run she's had so far this tennis season.
“All the feels, all the heart. Back in another finals,” Osaka posted alongside a heart and prayer emojis.
Osaka is attempting to nab her first WTA title win since 2021. She played the best years of her career between 2018 and 2021, when she secured two Australian Open championships and two US Open titles. The 27-year-old has since taken time away from the game for maternity leave, but she's also struggled to produce the same success when she is on the court. Osaka has fallen short of the final round in the last 12 straight major tournaments.
The four-time Grand Slam champion split with coach Patrick Mouratoglou before the Canadian Open began after a 10-month working relationship. Osaka was trying to infuse a new energy into her career after returning to tennis in 2024 for the first time since giving birth to her first child, but she's now choosing to go in a different direction with Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. She posted a farewell message to the Frenchman on her Instagram.
“Merci, Patrick. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met, and I'm sure I'll see you around,” Osaka capped off with a heart emoji.
Osaka will next take on young Canadian phenom Victoria Mboko, who's advancing to her first-ever WTA final after defeating Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. The 18-year-old, who took down Coco Gauff in an earlier round, will also be ranked in the WTA top 40 for the first time in her career.
