WATCH: Frustrated Naomi Osaka Throws Her Racquet Multiple Times, Receives Code Violation For Ball Abuse

Published 09/03/2021, 9:51 PM EDT

Third seed Naomi Osaka met her match in 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez at the US Open 2021 third round. Accordingly, the duo took it to three sets to decide the winner between them. In the end, it was the defending champion who first lost control of the match.

From the first swing itself, the young Canadian showed sheer determination to cause the biggest upset. Subsequently, Osaka also brought her best tennis for the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Indeed, Fernandez stayed on toe with the Japanese professional and never backed out of the fight. A decider set transpired to bring out the winner between the two.

Article continues below this ad

WATCH: Journalist Confuses Garbine Muguruza With Bianca Andreescu After Win Over Victoria Azarenka at US Open 2021 R3

Naomi Osaka and Leylah Fernandez go the distance at US Open 2021 R3

The 23-year-old served well throughout the matchup against Fernandez. However, at the most important time, her service game abandoned her.

Notably, Osaka was serving for the match at 6-5 with a set lead, but from then on, she went to lose the second set in the tie-breaker. She banged her racquet twice to the ground, but since it did not break, she received no code violation.

Naomi Osaka is rattled! 😤
The defending #USOpen champion throws her racket for a second time before 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez fights back to take the second set pic.twitter.com/nz6Ewm78rV
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) September 4, 2021

But, one did seem inevitable as the defending champ grew more and more frustrated. Osaka got broken in the decider set by the 18-year-old Canadian. And so, to cool off the steam, the Japanese let off her frustation on the tennis ball, giving her the code violation for ball abuse.

Article continues below this ad

Code violation, ball abuse, miss Osaka.
She is 2-0 down in the the decider. She is was serving for the match 15 minutes ago.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 4, 2021

Tennis is unquestionably a more mental game than physical. And in this matter, Fernandez had taken a huge lead over the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Article continues below this ad

However, the big question is: Will the young Canadian keep her resolution tight to upset the defending champion? Or will Osaka pull off this challenge deep in the third set of the US Open 2021 R3?

Maria Sharapova Dazzles in All-Black Outfit at the Venice Film Festival 2021

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Purav Joshi is a Tennis author at EssentiallySports. Having a degree in Films, Television and Media Production, he guided his passion for writing and journalism into the sport of aces and rallies. With over 2 years of experience as a copywriter, Purav has authored over 500 tennis articles.

WATCH: Frustrated Naomi Osaka Throws Her Racquet Multiple Times, Receives Code Violation For Ball Abuse

Naomi Osaka and Leylah Fernandez go the distance at US Open 2021 R3

Trending

Roger Federer Breaks Partnership With Billion Dollar Worth Italian Brand Days After Coco Gauff’s Stunning Commercial Appearance

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Girlfriend Paula Badosa Provides Saddening Health Update After Being Forced To Retire Against Aryna Sabalenka

Tennis News: Rafael Nadal Confirms Retirement ; Doping-Banned Mikael Ymer Announces Comeback; Stefanos Tsitsipas Dubbed as Hypocrite

Barcelona Open 2024: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Facundo Diaz Acosta; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

Stuttgart Open 2024: Coco Gauff vs Marta Kostyuk; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction