Osaka’s Serve Powers Japan’s United Cup Breakthrough
Naomi Osaka turns a last-minute matchup switch into a gritty win on Perth’s hardcourts, leveling the tie with Great Britain and setting up a tense mixed doubles decider in the 2026 United Cup.
Naomi Osaka walked onto the RAC Arena court in Perth under the glare of the 2026 United Cup lights, her planned rematch with Emma Raducanu upended by a sudden withdrawal that thrust 26-year-old Katie Swan into the spotlight. The hardcourt’s medium pace favored Osaka’s power game, but the early-season rust tested her focus from the first ball. In 1 hour and 53 minutes, she carved out a 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory, notching Japan’s inaugural match win in the event and forcing a winner-take-all mixed doubles after Billy Harris had given Great Britain the early lead by beating Shintaro Mochizuki.
Osaka’s serve locked in right away, snatching the first 10 points on it and 11 of the opening 12, her mix of wide angles and body serves jamming Swan’s returns. She wrapped with 78% of first-serve points won and six aces, a shield against her shaky start on return where she landed just 1 of 10 break chances in the opener. Swan, drawing on her 16 ITF singles titles—including four from 2025—and her 2015 Australian Open girls’ finalist run, pushed back hard, breaking first for a 4-3 edge and saving Osaka’s initial eight break points with low underspin slices that skidded off the surface.
“Just fighting, no matter what the score was,” said Osaka when asked what she was most pleased with. “I’ve never played her before and she’s a really tough opponent. And to have one of the first matches of the year is definitely really tough, but I’m glad to be back here. I haven’t been here since 2017, so thanks for having me.”
Serve dominance fuels first-set survival
Osaka broke back to 5-5, her heavy topspin forehands looping deep crosscourt to stretch Swan wide before inside-in winners clipped the line in the tiebreak, which she took 7-4. The Perth crowd’s split energy—Japanese flags fluttering amid British chants—added layers to the psychological tug, Osaka channeling her 2017 Perth memories into steady baseline exchanges. Swan’s flat backhands kept rallies alive, but Osaka’s 1–2 pattern of serve plus crosscourt pressure gradually eroded her footing on the grippy hardcourt.
That opener’s grind mirrored Osaka’s broader comeback arc, where mental resets turn early pressure into building blocks. She later noted how securing it rebuilt her rhythm, a quiet admission amid the arena’s hum. The second set unfolded smoother, Osaka breaking early at 2-1 with down-the-line backhands that exploited Swan’s fading movement, then pulling away to 6-1 as her returns sharpened.
“[Winning the first set] was definitely really important,” Osaka said. “And just, I guess for my confidence, trying to just build more. So yeah, I definitely appreciated winning the first set for sure.”
Harris edges ahead in men’s opener
Earlier, the 30-year-old Harris steadied Great Britain after the Raducanu news, rallying from 5-3 down against Mochizuki in the first set before dropping serve at 6-5, only to dominate the tiebreak 7-4. With captain Tim Henman’s changeover tips emphasizing patience, he broke in the second set’s fourth game, closing 6-3 on consistent crosscourt forehands that targeted Mochizuki’s backhand. The Japanese 22-year-old faltered with 19 unforced errors in the opener and a 40% first-serve rate—27 of 68 points—his overhit shots punished by the court’s true bounce.
Harris, securing his first tour-level win since defeating Dusan Lajovic at Wimbledon in 2023, fed off the British support that echoed through RAC Arena. This point, against a higher-ranked foe in the PIF ATP Rankings, flipped the tie’s script and ramped up the stakes for Osaka. Mochizuki’s baseline lapses, especially on returns, left Japan chasing its debut point until Osaka delivered.
“Great atmosphere…it got me through the match,” Harris said in his on-court interview. “A lot of Brits out here. Great to get the first win for the team. Some shaky bits in there, but I managed to close it out there in the end, so I was happy with that.“
“Having Tim on the bench, it’s great having advice from someone like that,” Harris added. “You’re listening every changeover, and those little bits of advice can make a difference.”
Mixed doubles tests team resolve
Swan’s effort, despite the straight-sets loss, echoed her perseverance—her 2-1 singles record from the 2023 United Cup included wins over Nuria Parrizas Diaz and Zoe Hives, plus a main-draw appearance at Wimbledon that year against Belinda Bencic. For Osaka, this marked her first United Cup victory, a momentum shifter in Japan’s event bow as both teams entered the day winless. The tie now pivots to mixed doubles, Japan pairing Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama against Great Britain’s Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski, where net volleys and quick transitions could tip the balance on these hardcourts.
The Perth sun dipped as the singles wrapped, leaving the air thick with anticipation for partnerships that must gel under national eyes. Osaka’s adaptation from lineup chaos to tactical control sets a tone of resilience, hinting at how United Cup’s format amplifies individual edges into team narratives. Track the unfolding drama through United Cup: Scores | Standings, where this decider could spark early fire for either squad’s 2026 campaign.
