McEnroe believes Naomi Osaka is still a favorite to win the US Open

Despite some early round losses since her return to tennis following her hiatus, John McEnroe believes that Naomi Osaka could still lift the title at the US Open.

Having skipped the entire grass court season, Osaka returned at the Tokyo Olympics and in Cincinnati, where she suffered round of 16 exits at both events.

"It’s really difficult to say. I think she’s the best hard court player in the world," McEnroe said in an interview with ESPN. "Obviously all this stuff that’s been going on can’t possibly sort of benefit her. Your question is can she overcome it, is she in the mindset to overcome it mentally and physically having not played that much, basically stepped away from the French and Wimbledon, then all that accompanied her being in Japan, lighting the caldron, et cetera, then losing."

Read also

2021 US Open Prize Money WTA and ATP with $38,720,000 on offer

The Japanese superstar seems to be struggling as of late, but McEnroe believes that Osaka needs to win a difficult match in order to return to form.

"She needs to win a close one. She was double match point down against Muguruza at the Australian, pulled that out. Then she got on a roll. I think if she’s going to do well, it’s going to have to be one of those situations," added McEnroe.

"She didn’t have it when the going got tough in Cincinnati. She looked like she was competing hard, but she just wasn’t able to dig in the way you normally would see her. Perhaps you could sort of take a lesson from that. The next time it happens, play a little bit differently. If she gets through one of those matches, I think she could win it."