Osaka advances at US Open, calls tennis her side hustle

Naomi Osaka described tennis as her "side hustle" while prioritizing motherhood at the 2026 US Open, where she advanced to the second round with a hard-fought victory. The four-time Grand Slam champion defeated Russia's Anastasia Zakharova in two tiebreaks on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but emphasized that her primary role is raising her three-year-old daughter, Shai. "I think people forget my main job is to be a mom," Osaka, 28, told reporters before the tournament began on August 29. "This tennis is kind of like my side hustle a little bit. I just happen to be really good at it." She noted that Shai is already showing interest in the sport, swinging a mini racket, though she has not yet played on a real court. Osaka's opening match was a tense affair. She won 7-6(6), 7-6(3) against the world No. 101, Zakharova, despite never securing a service break. Osaka held significant leads of 5-2 and 5-3 in the first and second sets, respectively, but was unable to close out the sets in regulation. She attributed the tightness to nerves specific to the tournament's opening round.