Naomi Osaka beaten by Elena Rybakina at US Open as Achilles Injury Flares

Naomi Osaka cites Achilles injury after US Open loss to Elena Rybakina

Naomi Osaka lost 6-1, 6-4 to Elena Rybakina in the US Open fourth round. The 2-time champion said she will address a lingering left Achilles injury.

Rybakina beats Osaka in 66 minutes to reach US Open quarter-finals...

Two-time US Open winner Naomi Osaka says she needs to find out what’s causing a persistent left Achilles issue that affected her in a fourth-round defeat to Elena Rybakina on Monday.

The Japanese player had treatment during a medical timeout in her third-round win over Elise Mertens and said the problem felt worse in her 6-1, 6-4 loss to Rybakina.

“The last match I played, I felt a lot in my leg,” Osaka said. “Then this morning, it just got a lot worse. I felt like I played the best that I could given the situation.

“I can't really push off like I want, and when I land, it hurts a little,” Osaka added. “I was trying to figure out ways to, I guess, minimize it. I thought if I served a little slower the impact when I land would be less.”

Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina beat Osaka in 66 minutes. Osaka said she hopes to manage the injury through the rest of the season.

“Yesterday I got an ultrasound, and then I got an ultrasound again just now, and I'm probably going to go get an MRI, because, honestly, I don't really know too much about what's going on,” she said.

“Thankfully we're at the end of the year, so after the Asian swing, we do get two weeks off. I'm just going to make do with the time that I have and try to be smart about the amount of matches I play.”

Rybakina vs Osaka: By The Numbers

More than two years on from her return after an extended maternity break, Osaka said she was happy with her Grand Slam results this year.

She went out in the third round in Melbourne, reached the last 16 at Roland Garros, and had her best Wimbledon showing yet with a quarter-final run that included a win over world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.

“I started the year injured,” she said. “I don't know if this counts as ending the year injured, but I definitely learned a lot about myself, about my tennis.

“I got the furthest that I've ever gotten in the French and in Wimbledon. Hopefully I can continue to build on that and just play more matches with these really good players, because I feel like I need those under my belt.”