Naomi Osaka reflects on her loss at the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
The four-time Grand Slam singles champion failed to qualify for the main draw in Cincinnati after losing a qualifying match to Ashlyn Krueger. On Sunday, she won her first match of the qualifying tournament against Anna Blinkova.
On Tuesday, Osaka took to Instagram to reflect on the loss and said what she was feeling was similar to being “postpartum.”
“In a strange way, I’ve learned to appreciate defeats. You don’t play tennis for 20-plus years without having a fair share of them,” Osaka began. “You learn from a defeat and then you look forward to the next opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice.”
“My biggest problem right now is not the losses, but more the fact that I don’t feel in my body,” she continued. “It’s a weird feeling, I miss balls that I shouldn’t miss, I hit balls softer than I thought I would. I try to tell myself ‘it’s okay, you’re doing great, get over this one and keep pushing,’ but mentally it’s really exhausting.”
“Inside I hear myself screaming, ‘What the hell is going on?!?!'” she added.
Naomi Osaka of Japan walks across the court during her match against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States (not pictured) on day two of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 12, 2024 in Mason, Ohio.
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The two-time US Open champion acknowledged that Monday’s loss may have been part of “a little phase of all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard, etc.)” but said she could only love the feeling she had “being postpartum.”
“It’s scary [me] “Since I’ve been playing tennis since I was 3 years old, the tennis racket must be like an extension of my hand,” she said. “I don’t understand why everything has to feel almost new. It should be as easy as breathing to me, but it’s not and I really didn’t realize it until now.”
Osaka said she is learning and will continue to work every day, something she hopes to teach her daughter.
Naomi Osaka of Japan plays against Elise Mertens of Belgium during day 3 of the National Bank Open, part of the Hologic WTA Tour at Sobeys Stadium on August 8, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
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“I love this process (even though sometimes it doesn’t love me haha), working every day and finally having the opportunity to get where you want to be,” she said. “I know life isn’t guaranteed, so I want to do the best I can with the time I have, I want to teach my daughter that she can accomplish a lot with hard work and perseverance. I want her to reach for the stars and never think her dreams are too big.”
“Nothing is promised in life, but I realized I could promise myself that I would work as hard as I could and do my best until the end,” she added.
Osaka ended her message with, “See you in New York ♥️,” noting that she will play at the US Open again later this month.
2024 marks Osaka’s return to tennis, a year after welcoming her daughter in July 2023.
Last month, she competed in the singles events at the Olympics, but lost to Angelique Kerber in the first round.
