"It is Naomi Osaka who should be retiring, not Serena Williams" - Tennis fans taunt the Japanese star after early US Open exit

In yet another shocking first-round exit at the 2022 US Open, Naomi Osaka lost to Danielle Collins on Tuesday, ending her hunt for a fifth Grand Slam title.

The 19th seed American defeated the two-time US Open champion 7-6(5), 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes. In her seven appearances at Flushing Meadows, this is the first time that she has failed to reach the second round. The World No. 44 has lifted the title in New York twice, beating Serena Williams in 2018 and Victoria Azarenka in 2020.

The last time Osaka won a Grand Slam title was at the 2021 Australian Open. The Japanese player has struggled with injuries and mental health issues, resulting in many early exits on the WTA tour. In the build-up to the US Open, the 24-year-old lost her opening matches at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open as well.

This was the fourth meeting between the two players, with Osaka leading 3-1 head-to-head. Her fans will have to wait a little longer before she peaks again.

Some have already given up hope of a resurgence in the four-time Grand Slam winner, suggesting she might even look for another career.

"Naomi career is set and done. Don’t get it twisted. She will still play for the grandslam but i don’t think she will ever reach to her peak again. Collins was double faulting over and ovet, and Naomi just decided to blow the game. Don’t ever compare her to serena," a fan tweeted.

"Osaka is one of the first athlete's to give me hope. A dangerous thing hope. It can rob a person of all that they are and all that they'll ever be. Most disappointing of all is that so many people now get to be called champion for having done nothing more than lifting a trophy," a user wrote.

"Are we finally moving on from Osaka? She's washed & hasn't really been focused on her game for a bit now. Shes more relevant b/c of her name/brand than her winning or sport; and has been for a bit now. She can fade into becoming a popular public figure now vs actual elite athlete," a tweet read.

Here are some more reactions:

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"This year hasn't really been a great year" - Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka during her first-round match

Naomi Osaka has lifted seven singles titles in her career so far, the 2021 Australian Open being her last. The 24-year-old has had to deal with numerous injuries this year, her best result coming at the Miami Open, where she lost the summit clash against Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-0.

In a post-match press conference on Tuesday, the Japanese star cited a back issue as the reason for her dismal performance against Danielle Collins.

"I mean, I kind of thought that I played a bit too defensively. I didn't really trust my forehand that much. I also felt like I was on my back foot a lot. Overall, I wouldn't say that I played very well, but I tried the hardest with what I could do. I feel like I lost in the first round of France, too, so this year hasn't really been a great year. I mean, it was pretty hard for me," Osaka said.

"I honestly just wanted to play without my back being in pain because it's kind of been bad for the entire hard court season since Toronto. I didn't serve until, like, two days ago, so I was really happy with how my serve went. I feel like everyone deals with injuries. I would say for me, it's been more prominent this year," she added.

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results