Naomi Osaka fought back tears as she addressed the media following her first-round exit from the French Open on Monday, still wearing pink sakura-inspired hair accessories and showing tear streaks on her cheeks after a hard-fought 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 loss to 10th-seeded Paula Badosa.
Emotional and visibly shaken, Osaka had to pause the press conference and briefly leave the room. When she returned, she admitted the weight of expectations continues to challenge her.
“As time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. But also… I hate disappointing people,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion, who has never advanced beyond the third round at Roland-Garros.
Speaking candidly about the pressure she feels, Osaka referenced her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, formerly with Serena Williams: “He goes from working with, like, the greatest player ever to, like, ‘What the [expletive] is this?’ You know what I mean? Sorry for cursing. I hope I don’t get fined.”
Osaka struggled with consistency throughout the match, committing 54 unforced errors—twice as many as Badosa. After winning the opening set in a tiebreak, she received treatment for hand blisters, something she said stemmed from the friction of playing on clay, a surface where her power game is less effective. She also had to trim her cherry blossom-themed nails during a changeover.
The match exposed the difficulties Osaka has historically faced on clay, with five service breaks and nearly as many double faults (five) as aces (seven). Currently ranked No. 49, Osaka has yet to find her rhythm in Paris, where she withdrew in 2021 before her second-round match due to mental health concerns. That moment became a turning point in global discussions around athletes and mental well-being.
Last year, Osaka nearly upset eventual champion Iga Swiatek in one of her best matches since returning to the tour after giving birth. But Monday’s loss was a tough setback.
Before leaving the press room, she answered one final question from a Japanese journalist about her plans for the grass-court season and Wimbledon, which begins June 30.
“I don’t necessarily know my grass-season schedule right now,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t really expecting to lose in the first round.”
