Osaka Battles Into First Semifinal of Season in Washington, DC – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, July 31, 2026
Photograph credit score: Mubadala DC Open

Sporting cherry blossoms on her pink costume, Naomi Osaka introduced the growth and bloom to Rock Creek Park at present.

Osaka broke twice within the closing set rallying previous Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to battle into her first semifinal of the season on the Mubadala DC Open.

Former world No. 1 Osaka reached her first semifinal because the 2025 US Open when she fell to Amanda Anisimova.

Earlier, top-seeded Jessica Pegula powered previous Anna Kalinskaya, 6-3, 7-5, within the day’s first quarterfinal.

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The 2019 champion Pegula improved to 5-1 towards Kalinskaya and can play both fourth-seeded Diana Schnaider or hard-hitting Liudmila Samsonova for a positioned within the closing.

It’s the twenty third profession semifinal for Osaka, who continues her quest for an eighth profession title this weekend.

The third-seeded Osaka will play both second-seeded Elina Svitolina or 21-year-old Filipina phenom Alexandra Eala for a spot in Sunday’s closing.

Two-time US Open champion Osaka sprayed 18 unforced errors within the opening set, however confirmed a bit extra restraint and focused aggression because the match progressed. Osaka continued to pound the Italian’s forehand wing inciting her comeback.

Afterward, Osaka stated an early wake-up name from her daughter drained her power stage a bit at first.

“Truthfully, I’m not too certain. From my finish, I had a low power. I stored attempting to pump myself up,” Osaka informed Tennis Channel’s Brett Haber afterward. “Within the second, I simply wished to offer it my finest shot.

“I get up when my daughter wakes up and he or she wakes up fairly early. I actually ought to sleep in. However as soon as she bursts within the door and he or she’s like: Good morning Mommy.”

Spraying successive forehands, Osaka gift-wrapped the break and a 4-3 result in the Italian.

Amid sweltering 88-degree circumstances, a fan fell in poor health within the stands. Play was suspended for about seven minutes as staffers helped the ailing fan.

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Osaka consulted coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who gave the impression to be signalling for her to make use of somewhat extra form on her pictures.

When play resumed, Cocciaretto drained errors from the Japanese. Osaka badly missed a down the road drive to finish a 42-minute opener that noticed the previous No. 1 commit 18 unforced errors.

Whereas Cocciaretto wasn’t hitting the ball as exhausting, she was usually hitting it earlier, enjoying sharper angles.

Enjoying factors with a bit extra endurance, Osaka cleaned up her act, lower down on the unforced errors and rolled to a 3-0 second-set lead.

Serving within the seventh sport, Osaka delved into self-sabotage. Two double faults, an unforced error and a jammed error of a Cocciaretto return and Osaka dropped serve, bounced her Yonex racquet and kicked the stick towards the facet wall.

Cooling down with a fan on the changeover, Cocciaretto was again on serve at 3-4. 

Digging in, Osaka navigated a troublesome ninth sport holding for 5-4. 

A jittery Cocciaretto missed a forehand and clanked her sixth double fault as Osaka transformed set level No. 2 to pressure a 3rd set after 87 steamy minutes of play.

Following a few 10-minute clothes break change, the pair returned to motion.

Hammering heavy drives that pushed the Italian behind the baseline and compelled her to counter off the again foot, Osaka break at love for 4-2. 

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Jamming a jarring serve down the T, Osaka confirmed the break for 5-2. Osaka closed in two hours, 11 minutes to enhance to 22-8 on the season.