USA Today via Reuters
Sep 3, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan gestures after missing a shot against Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada (not pictured) on day five of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 3, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan gestures after missing a shot against Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada (not pictured) on day five of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
In the late hours of tennis action at the US Open, the women’s singles category witnessed the biggest shock of the tournament so far. Naomi Osaka, the third seed suffered a stunning defeat to Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the tournament.
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While this result meant a new champion will emerge this year, it will also send Osaka further down the WTA Rankings.
Naomi Osaka set to slip to #4 in the WTA Rankings
Osaka started the year as the World No. 3 and rose to #2 after winning the Australian Open. However, she withdrew from the French Open citing mental health issues, subsequently withdrawing from Wimbledon as well.
Although she returned to the court in the Tokyo Olympics, she struggled to get going. She suffered a third round exit at the hands of Marketa Vondrousova in the Japanese capital, before moving on to hard court tournaments. At the Cincinnati Open, where she was a finalist last year, she lost to Jil Teichmann in the Round of 16.
Despite her poor run of form, the 23-year-old arrived in New York as the defending champion of the US Open. However, Fernandez produced an impressive performance to end Osaka’s defence.
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 3, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Leylah Fernandez of Canada, right, shakes hands with Naomi Osaka Osaka of Japan after a third round match on day five of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
In the next weekly update of the WTA Rankings, Osaka will gain 130 points for her performance in New York. However, she will lose the 2000 ranking points she earned after her triumph in last year. Hence, this Monday, September 6, the Japanese star will move down a spot to become the World No. 4 after a deduction of 1870 ranking points.
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Karolina Pliskova to become the new World No. 3
Pliskova will take Osaka’s place in the rankings by becoming the new World No. 3. Prior to the US Open, she reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open and the final of The Wimbledon Championships.
USA Today via Reuters
Aug 15, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic hits a shot against Camila Giorgi of Italy (not pictured) in the singles finals match during the National Bank Open at Stade IGA Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
The 29-year-old Czech faces Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the ongoing US Open, as she chases her maiden Grand Slam victory.
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