Naomi Osaka speaks out after her loss at the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
The four-time Grand Slam singles champion failed in Cincinnati after losing in the qualifying round to Ashlyn Krueger. On Sunday she won her match against Anna Blinkova.
On Tuesday, Osaka reflected on the loss on Instagram, saying her feelings were similar to those “after giving birth.”
“In a strange way, I’ve learned to appreciate defeat. You don’t play tennis for 20 years without getting tired of it,” Osaka began. “You learn from a defeat and then wait impatiently for the next opportunity to put what you’ve learned to the test.”
“My biggest problem right now is not the losses, but not feeling in my body,” she continued. “It’s a weird feeling, missing balls that I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls that are softer than they used to be. I try to tell myself, ‘It’s OK, you’re doing great, just get through it and keep going,’ but mentally it’s really exhausting.”
“Inside I hear myself screaming, ‘What the hell is happening here?!?!'” she added.
The two-time US Open champion further acknowledged that Monday’s loss may have been part of “a little phase due to all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard court, etc.),” but said she can only like the feeling she is experiencing because she is “post-baby.”
“This is scary (Me) “Since I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, the tennis racket should feel like an extension of my hand,” she said. “I don’t understand why everything has to feel almost new again. It should be as easy as breathing for me, but it isn’t, and I really didn’t trust myself to do that until now.”
Osaka said she is learning and will continue to work on it every day – something she also wants to teach her daughter.
“I love the process (although sometimes the process doesn’t love me haha) of working every day and finally having the opportunity to get to where you want to be,” she said. “I know life isn’t guaranteed, so I want to make the most of the time I have. I want to teach my daughter that with hard work and perseverance, she can accomplish so many things. I want her to shoot for the stars and never think her dreams are too big.”
“Nothing is certain in life, but I realized that I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and do my best until the end,” she added.
Osaka ended her message with “See you in New York” and noted that she will play again at the US Open later this month.
2024 marks Osaka’s tennis comeback, one year after she gave birth to her daughter in July 2023.
Last month she competed in the Olympics, losing in singles to Angelique Kerber. This year she also competed in the French Open and Australian Open.
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