World No.1 Naomi Osaka was so afraid of losing in the first round of her first ever title defense at Grand Slam level that she hit 50 unforced errors and wasted a match point in the second set against Russian world No.84 Anna Blinkova on Day 2 of the US Open.
Honored with a custom Nike x Sacai outfit, the 21-year-old Osaka was overwhelmed by a burden of expectations on her return to Arthur Ashe Stadium where she beat Serena Williams in last year’s final:
I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my life.