Naomi Osaka has been one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 US Open, both for her gutsy on-court performances and her attention-grabbing fashion choices in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The two-time US Open champion advanced to the fourth round on September 5 after battling through a lower-leg injury scare in a dramatic three-set win, extending a tournament run that has already made history for the 13th seed.

A Career Milestone in New York

Osaka’s win over Belgium’s Elise Mertens, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, secured her spot in the fourth round and marked a significant career achievement: for the first time, Osaka has now reached the fourth round in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments within a single calendar year, adding to her Round 4 finish at Roland Garros and quarterfinal run at Wimbledon earlier in 2026. The milestone underscores just how consistent Osaka’s form has been across all surfaces this season, a notable turnaround after periods of inconsistency in recent years.

The match itself was far from straightforward. Osaka started strongly, holding her opening service games and capitalizing on a couple of double faults from Mertens to secure the only break of the first set. She saved both break points while serving for the set at 5-3 before eventually closing it out on her fourth set point. Mertens, the No. 24 seed, responded well in the second set, digging in after falling behind an early break and forcing a decider as Osaka’s own game became erratic with unforced errors piling up.

In the third and final set, Osaka fought through what appeared to be a physical issue with her lower leg, visibly managing discomfort in the closing stages of a match that stretched to two hours and 38 minutes. Despite the injury scare, she found enough in the crucial moments to close out the win, extending her run to the second week of the tournament — a stage where she has historically excelled, having reached at least the semifinals in three of her four previous appearances in the second week at Flushing Meadows, winning the title on both occasions she made it that far.

“This is my favorite tournament, so I really want to play well for you guys,” Osaka said afterward, reflecting on her connection with the New York crowd, a relationship that has become a defining feature of her US Open career since her breakthrough title run in 2018.

The Second Round: A Different Kind of Battle

Osaka’s fourth-round run followed a similarly tense path through the tournament’s earlier stages. In the second round, she needed a turbulent three-set win over Katerina Siniakova, prevailing 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in a match that swung back and forth before Osaka ultimately asserted control in the deciding set. In the opening round, she survived a tight two-tiebreak battle against unseeded Anastasia Zakharova, winning 7-6(6), 7-6(3) in a contest that required well over two hours and had Osaka admitting afterward that “it took everything,” having not competed since a quarterfinal appearance at the Canadian Open a month earlier.

Fashion Statements That Went Viral

Osaka’s on-court style has become just as talked-about as her results this tournament, with her entrance outfits generating significant buzz across social media and sports fashion coverage. In her opening match, she paid tribute to NBA legend Allen Iverson, sporting cornrows and a sleeveless, distressed hoodie with elbow sleeves — signature elements of Iverson’s iconic style — before revealing a basketball jersey-inspired competition outfit underneath. The tribute fit into a broader basketball-themed approach taken by Nike for several of its top athletes at this year’s US Open, with other stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka also debuting hardwood-inspired looks.

“For me he’s a trailblazer,” Osaka said of Iverson, whom she described as one of the most culturally influential athletes of his era, both on and off the court. She followed that entrance with an equally striking all-white look before a subsequent night match, featuring a distressed hoodie lined with newsprint headlines and photos chronicling her own career as a public figure, paired with a cascading white tulle skirt — a look that immediately drew comparisons across fashion and sports media outlets.

Why Osaka Is Trending

Osaka’s name has climbed into trending search territory with over 100,000 searches and a jump of roughly 400 percent, a combination driven by both her deep US Open run and the viral attention surrounding her outfits. As a former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka carries a global following that extends well beyond traditional tennis audiences, particularly given her prominence in fashion, business, and broader cultural conversations over the past several years.

Her consistent deep runs at major tournaments in 2026 have reignited discussion about a potential return to the sport’s elite tier, following a challenging stretch that included time away from competition. Fans and analysts alike have taken note of her improved fitness, sharper shot-making, and renewed competitive fire, all of which have been on full display throughout her run at Flushing Meadows this year.

Looking Ahead

With her spot in the fourth round secured, attention now turns to whether Osaka can carry her current form deep into the second week of the tournament. Given her historically strong record once she reaches this stage of the US Open — including two previous titles won from a similar position — there’s genuine optimism among fans that this could be the tournament where Osaka fully recaptures the magic of her breakthrough Grand Slam years.

Whatever happens in the rounds ahead, Osaka has already delivered one of the standout storylines of the 2026 US Open, combining gutsy, physically demanding wins with some of the most talked-about outfits of the tournament — a rare combination that has kept her firmly in the spotlight throughout the fortnight in New York.

A Champion Still Writing Her Story

Osaka’s career has always been defined by moments that extend beyond the scoreline, and this US Open run is no exception. Since first bursting onto the scene as a teenager and claiming her maiden Grand Slam title in dramatic fashion at Flushing Meadows in 2018, she has become one of the most recognizable athletes in global sport, admired as much for her candor about mental health and her advocacy work as for her powerful serve and baseline game.

That broader profile is part of why her fourth-round run has generated such widespread attention beyond core tennis audiences. Fans who may not typically follow the sport closely are nonetheless tuning in to see whether Osaka can recapture the form that once made her the most dominant hard-court player in the women’s game, while her fashion choices continue to pull in an entirely separate audience from the worlds of style and pop culture. Few athletes manage to bridge sport and mainstream cultural relevance quite as effectively, and this US Open has offered a clear reminder of exactly why Naomi Osaka remains one of the most closely watched figures in tennis today.