French Open: Naomi Osaka hates disappointing people

Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, faced a disappointing first-round exit at the French Open on Monday, succumbing to Spain's Paula Badosa in a closely contested three-set match. The 27-year-old Japanese star, who secured her first title in nearly two years earlier this month following her maternity leave in 2023, battled intensely but ultimately fell 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 6-4.

The match saw Osaka save a set point in the opening set before dominating the subsequent tie-break. However, the resilient Spanish tenth seed mounted a strong comeback, asserting control in the second and third sets. Beyond the on-court battle, Osaka's emotional state was palpable in her post-match press conference, which she briefly left to compose herself.

Immense pressure...

"As time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. I hate disappointing people" an emotional Osaka shared with reporters. Her comments also reflected on her collaboration with Patrick Mouratoglou, the long-time coach of Serena Williams, as she questioned her own performance level. "So even with Patrick, I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with the greatest player ever to...this? You know what I mean?" she mused, indicating the immense pressure she places on herself.

Since returning to the WTA Tour after the birth of her daughter, Shai, in July 2023, Osaka has yet to progress beyond the third round of any major tournament. Compounding her on-court challenges in Paris, Osaka required a medical timeout after the conclusion of the first set against Badosa, struggling with blisters on her fingers. She explained that the issue has persisted since the Rome tournament, attributing the blisters to the unique friction caused by clay courts, a problem she doesn't encounter on other surfaces.