Tennis champion Naomi Osaka gave an emotional post-match interview where she contemplated her future after her defeat in the third round of the US Open.
This year has been one of heavy scrutiny for the young star, who recognizes that the pressure negatively impacts her game.
“I feel like for me, recently, when I win, I don’t feel happy, I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad,” Osaka said. “I don’t think that’s normal.”
Osaka lost to Canadian player Leylah Fernandez, who is 18 and unseeded.
“This is very hard to articulate. Basically, I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match,” Osaka said tearfully. “I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.”
The star also apologized for bashing her racket to the ground during a moment of frustration.
“I was telling myself to be calm, but I feel like maybe there was a boiling point. Like, normally, I feel like I like challenges. But recently I feel very anxious when things don’t go my way, and I feel like you can feel that,” she explains.
Osaka withdrew from the French Open earlier this year to protect her mental health. She also withdrew from Wimbledon. Decisions picked apart by the media.
During a recent interview, Osaka was reduced to tears by an aggressive reporter.
“You are not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format, yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform,” the reporter from The Cincinnati Enquirer says. “I guess my question is, how do you balance the two and also do you have anything you’d like to share about what you did say about Simone Biles?”
Osaka broke down in tears.
It’s clear Naomi Osaka needs a break. She’s earned it.
We wish her the best.
