After Naomi Osaka defeated Katie Swan to briefly keep Japan alive, Great Britain's Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski clinched the deciding mixed doubles to end the campaign for Nao Hibino, Yasutaka Uchiyama and Japan in Group play.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka got her 2026 season off to a winning start for Japan in the United Cup, after Great Britain's Emma Raducanu pulled out of their singles clash with a foot injury.

According to Osaka, she was sick over Christmas, and that was to blame for her first loss of 2026. Maria Sakkari defeated Osaka in straight sets at the United Cup on Friday as Japan took on Greece: 6-4, 6-2.

Naomi Osaka is feeling under the weather at the United Cup but is optimistic she is nearly finished with the illness ahead of the Australian Open later this month.

From Naomi Osaka's thoughtful view on balancing motherhood with competition to Maria Sakkari's motivation to return to tennis' elite, the first Media Day at the United Cup in Perth gave us a glimpse of some players' offseasons and 2026 aspirations ahead of competition beginning Jan.

Naomi Osaka revealed that she was sick after losing her opening match of the year, but also noted that her serving issues and tremors weren't due to illness. On Friday, the 16th-ranked Japanese launched her United Cup debut with a 4-6 2-6 loss to 52nd-ranked Greek Maria Sakkari.

Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka is feeling under the weather at the United Cup. After losing her first match for Japan against Greece’s Maria Sakkari on Friday, Osaka said she got “really sick” over the Christmas holiday period and wasn’t operating at 100 percent during the 6-4,

Naomi Osaka begins her 2026 season at the United Cup, facing Maria Sakkari while balancing her elite tennis comeback with the challenges of professional motherhood.