By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, Could 26, 2025
Picture credit score: Julian Finney/Getty
Naomi Osaka confronted a nail-biter opening set by trimming her nails.
Osaka punctuated the primary set by giving herself a manicure.
A candid Osaka opened up on the uncooked emotional wounds of Grand Slam disappointment after struggling a 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4 loss to Paula Badosa in a dramatic Roland Garros opener on Courtroom Philippe Chatrier.
The Tenth-seeded Badosa battled by Osaka in a gripping two hour, 21-minute duel that left a depleted Osaka emotional and tearful in her post-match presser.
“I feel [the difference] she was most likely extra aggressive or one thing,” Osaka informed the media in Paris. “I really feel like that is a mistake that I’ve made the previous two matches. It is one thing that I am making an attempt to repair.
“But in addition, yeah, I imply, it was a tricky match.”
It’s the second yr in a row Osaka has confronted Parisian ache.
Final Could, reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek fought off a match level within the third set of their second-round assembly earlier than rallying to finish a comeback 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5 victory over Osaka.
Former world No. 1 Osaka tuned up for Paris profitable her first profession clay-court title within the WTA 125 occasion at Saint-Malo. However Badosa, an Australian Open semifinalist in January who has been stricken by a continual again challenge, was higher at crunch time at present.
A disconsolate Osaka stated it hurts her to disappoint herself and her crew, together with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who previously coached Osaka’s tennis hero, Serena Williams.
Sharing that disappointment prompted Osaka to get emotional in press.
“I hate disappointing folks,” Osaka stated. “So, like, even with Patrick, I used to be pondering this simply now, however he goes from working with, like, the best participant ever to, like, What the f-ck that is? You realize what I imply? Sorry for cursing, I hope do not get fined, however..”
At that time, a tearful Osaka left the press convention for a bit and returned to reply a pair extra questions.
Since her rousing run to her fourth main championship on the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka has performed 11 majors and didn’t survive the second spherical in eight of these 11 Grand Slam appearances.
Requested how this newest loss will strengthen her, Osaka replied “I hope you possibly can inform me that.”
“I really feel like I be taught little issues from every match,” Osaka added. “I feel I misplaced the tiebreaker in Rome, and I did not lose the tiebreaker right here. So, I imply, I’m acutely aware of issues once I’m taking part in, so perhaps the subsequent match I play I am going to be taught little issues from at present.”
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