SouthernWorldwide.com – Naomi Osaka, a prominent figure in the tennis world, has once again captured attention not for her on-court performance, but for her remarks made during press conferences at Grand Slam events. This year’s French Open proved to be no exception to this trend.
The four-time Grand Slam champion faced a straight-sets defeat against the current World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, with a scoreline of 5-7, 3-6 in the fourth round of Roland Garros. This outcome has become a recurring theme for Osaka in her encounters with the Belarusian player, as she now holds a 1-3 record against Sabalenka, with all three losses occurring in 2026.
Following her exit from the tournament in France, Osaka was questioned by the media about her mindset. Specifically, she was asked if she could find any encouragement in the loss or if she felt daunted by the challenge of closing the gap between her current performance level and that of Sabalenka.
The nature of the question itself could be considered somewhat unusual, as finding encouragement in a third consecutive loss to the same opponent would indeed be a unique perspective. However, the response Osaka provided was even more noteworthy.
“I don’t know if you knew me before, but I would be very, very disappointed in myself after matches like these. But I kinda realized it doesn’t matter at all,” Osaka stated, as reported.
“I’ve played her multiple times and sadly to say lost multiple times. The only thing I can keep doing is trying my best. Maybe, hopefully, it’ll work out in my favor one day. But I can’t let myself be discouraged every time I lose to someone or win against someone. Because honestly, hitting a ball doesn’t really matter, like, on Earth, kind of.”
Such a statement can be perceived as lacking in inspiration. For a player who has achieved four Grand Slam titles and previously held the World No. 1 ranking, Osaka’s admission that “hitting a ball doesn’t really matter” is quite surprising.
One can only imagine the level of criticism an athlete in another sport, such as an NBA superstar, would face if they were to suggest that “shooting a basketball doesn’t really matter” after a defeat. Similarly, an NFL quarterback making a similar comment after a significant loss would likely draw widespread condemnation.
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Despite these instances, Osaka often receives the benefit of the doubt from many within the tennis community. This is particularly notable given her past withdrawals from tournaments, such as the 2021 French Open, which she attributed to the pressures of media interactions being too overwhelming. Furthermore, there are reports of her becoming emotional in the media center at Roland Garros in a previous year following her first-round elimination.
