As Naomi Osaka practiced at Arthur Ashe Stadium early Tuesday, her coach, Dave Taylor, dared her to whack a ball out of the 23,000-seat stadium.
She could not eject a ball, but the 45th-ranked Osaka would soon cast out the defending United States Open champion — and her own demons lingering at Ashe Stadium.
Osaka, 19, emphatically beat sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-1, in 1 hour 5 minutes.
Kerber claimed her second Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking in New York last year, beating Karolina Pliskova in the final. Kerber’s ascent stalled this year, though, and she is plummeting.