NEW YORK—A year ago, on maternity leave and unsure when she would play elite tennis again, Naomi Osaka visited the U.S. Open to appear with Olympic swimming superstar Michael Phelps for a discussion about mental health. While at the site, she sat in the stands to watch one of Coco Gauff’s matches.
Osaka already was thinking about being back on a court at Flushing Meadows, so much so that she was pondering what she might want to wear to compete.
