Naomi Osaka might miss Cincinnati Open due to lost luggage

Japan’s tennis star Naomi Osaka has asked the airline to find her bag, or she might miss the upcoming Cincinnati Open. The WTA 1000 event will be played from August 13 to 19 where some of the top players in the world will participate to showcase their talent and secure the ultimate prize.

Osaka, in a post on her official account on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — asked United Airlines to find her bag or she might have to withdraw from the upcoming event. "Lol @united lost my bags and if I don’t get them tonight or tomorrow I literally can’t play Cincinati," she wrote.

The former world number one recently participated in the Canadia Open. Her journey came to an end on Friday as she lost to Elise Mertens of Belgium in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4. Even though the second-round defeat will be heartbreaking for Osaka, she would have been very satisfied after beating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the round of 64 in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1.

Osaka is having a mixed campaign. The 26-year-old, who returned to the court earlier this year after staying out of the game for more than 12 months because of pregnancy, has played in 14 different events this year—including the Paris Olympics—but has not managed to play in the semifinals even once. Her best performances in any events came in the Qatar Open and the Libema Open, where she played in the quarterfinals.

In Doha, she lost in the last-eight clash to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6. Later in the Libema Open, she came second-best in the quarterfinal clash to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 7-6. America’s Coco Gauff will defend her crown in the Cincinnati Open this year. She lifted the title last year after beating Karolina Muchova in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4.