Brittainy Newman/The New York Times
One year after winning the United States Open, and less than 48 hours after winning hearts worldwide from the same stadium, Naomi Osaka was knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round.
The remarkable part was that her defeat came as no surprise.
Though Osaka was the No. 1 seed and Belinda Bencic No. 13, it was difficult to consider Bencic’s impressive 7-5, 6-4 victory an upset.
Bencic undeniably has Osaka’s number, at least in 2019. Bencic can read Osaka’s game, maybe even read her mind, and has now beaten her three times in their four official matches, with all the victories coming this season.