Naomi Osaka left looking for answers as injury plays role in US Open elimination

[p]The Japanese star had received treatment during a medical timeout in her third-round win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mertens-elise/Y1ZrrUtl/"]Elise Mertens[/a] and said the problem troubled her more in her [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/osaka-n-MDM4BKiA/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/?mid=YTRJZrTH"]6-1, 6-4 loss[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Rybakina[/a].[/p][p]"[b]The last match I played, I felt a lot in my leg,[/b]" [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Osaka[/a] said. "[b]Then this morning, it just got a lot worse. I felt like I played the best that I could given the situation.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I can't really push off like I want, and when I land, it hurts a little[/b]," Osaka added. "[b]I was trying to figure out ways to, I guess, minimize it. I thought if I served a little slower the impact when I land would be less.[/b]"[/p][p]Reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina needed just 66 minutes to get past Osaka, who is hopeful she can manage the injury through the end of the season.[/p][p]"[b]Yesterday I got an ultrasound, and then I got an ultrasound again just now, and I'm probably going to go get an MRI, because, honestly, I don't really know too much about what's going on,[/b]" she said.[/p][p]"[b]Thankfully we're at the end of the year, so after the Asian swing, we do get two weeks off. I'm just going to make do with the time that I have and try to be smart about the amount of matches I play.[/b]"[/p][image alt="Match stats: Osaka vs Rybakina" id="6f72dd85-4792-4f37-b648-40eaa7051471" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="4c4d099f-92a7-4d8e-92de-703b4f7468f1" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]More than two years since she returned to the tour after an extended maternity leave, Osaka said she is pleased with her Grand Slam season.[/p][p]She exited the Australian Open in the third round but made the last 16 at Roland Garros and had a best-ever quarter-final run at Wimbledon that included a vitory over top-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I started the year injured,[/b]" she said. "[b]I don't know if this counts as ending the year injured, but I definitely learned a lot about myself, about my tennis.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I got the furthest that I've ever gotten in the French and in Wimbledon. Hopefully I can continue to build on that and just play more matches with these really good players, because I feel like I need those under my belt.[/b]"[/p]