Naomi Osaka’s long-awaited 2026 United Cup debut in Perth fell short of expectations as she suffered a loss to Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Far from her usual explosive self, the former world No. 1 looked physically restricted throughout the match. While the defeat hurt Team Japan, attention quickly shifted beyond the result, with post-match revelations shedding light on how illness, caught from her daughter Shai, shaped her first loss of the season.

Naomi Osaka spoke openly about her condition after her United Cup match. She addressed the issue during her post-match press conference. While she stressed it was not serious, the timing made it especially frustrating.

“I mean, honestly, from my end, it’s tough to say like I don’t care because I do care,” Osaka told the reporters.

“I kind of have been dealing with some health stuff, so I’m kind of just happy to be out here right now. It’s not like serious, but yeah.”

The former world No. 1 admitted her physical state held her back. She was disappointed she could not fully show the work she put in during the off-season. Her body simply did not respond the way she expected.

“I’m not operating at the percent that I want to be operating at, which kind of sucks because, like, I had a really good off-season, so I thought I was going to do really well her,” she said. “Then I got really sick. I think I’m at the tail end of that, but still not amazing.”

Osaka also explained how long the illness had lingered. The duration surprised her, given how much time had already passed since it began.

“Honestly, it’s been a minute, which is why I’m shocked that I still have it,” she said. “I think I got it from my daughter. I want to say, like before Christmas Eve.”

During the match, the signs were hard to miss. Osaka coughed frequently and looked visibly drained. Her energy levels dipped as the contest went on.

She continued to fight, but her movements lacked sharpness. The usual explosiveness in her shots was not there. A lingering respiratory issue clearly limited her intensity.

Maria Sakkari took full advantage of the situation. The Greek player stayed disciplined and controlled the rallies. Ranked No. 52, she sealed a 6-4, 6-2 win in one hour and 34 minutes at RAC Arena.

The victory gave Team Greece an early boost and hinted at Sakkari’s resurgence in 2026. As for Osaka, she also reflected on how the off-season helped her reset mentally and technically, even if illness delayed the results she hoped to show.

Osaka says the extended off-season helped her reset physically and emotionally

Naomi Osaka enters the new season with renewed momentum. The second half of 2025 marked a clear turnaround in her career. Her results suggested a strong return to top-level form.

A key change came off the court. Osaka ended her coaching partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou. She then appointed Tomasz Wiktorowski, a move that quickly brought stability and consistency.

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The improvement was visible in major tournaments. She reached the final of the Canadian Open. Soon after, she made the semifinals of the US Open, her deepest Grand Slam run since 2021.

Those performances restored belief in her game. Osaka once again looked capable of challenging the elite. The results reinforced the idea that she remains a genuine force in women’s tennis.

Her season, however, ended earlier than planned. In October, she withdrew from the Japan Open before her quarterfinal. A leg injury forced her to stop and step away from the competition.

While frustrating, the early finish had an upside. It gave Osaka something rare in recent years. She finally had time away from the tour to reset and recover.

Speaking ahead of the United Cup, she reflected on that period.

“Yeah, I mean, I think for me, I prioritised spending a lot of time with my daughter, so I was really glad that I was able to do that,” she said.

She also spoke about recovery and perspectives.

“Of course, [I needed to] recover, because I do think the season was really long, even though I didn’t play the entire thing.” She added, “I think my form right now hopefully is good. I guess I’ll see what happens in the matches that I have to play, but overall, I’m pretty happy with how my year shaped up. I’m excited for this, I guess, upcoming year, too.”

Osaka has been open about balancing tennis and motherhood. As the United Cup unfolds, the question remains. Can she reproduce last year’s form if Japan reaches the next round?