Speaking to the media after her defeat, Naomi Osaka likened the result to her last defeat on tour - against Coco Gauff at the 2020 Australian Open. The Japanese claimed she played even worse against Sakkari than she did against Gauff, but added that she is trying to learn how to win matches when she can’t find her best tennis.
Naomi Osaka further revealed that she didn’t feel comfortable at any point of this year’s Miami Open, where she was also pushed to the limit by an out-of-form Ajla Tomljanovic. The 23-year-old claimed that it is ‘mentally hard’ for her to compete against top players like Maria Sakkari when she is not playing at the level she is capable of.
I’ll have more freedom on the clay courts and on the grass: Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka was also asked if the end of her 23-match unbeaten streak had a silver lining, as she wouldn’t have the pressure to keep the run going during the clay season. In response, the Japanese claimed that she would have more freedom on non-hardcourt surfaces anyway, as she still considers herself to be a work in progress on clay and grass.
The 23-year-old then added an air of caution by highlighting a recent instance where she ended up getting too affected by a press conference question. Osaka claimed that when she was asked to give her thoughts on the No. 1 ranking, she started thinking too much about it and that in turn put pressure on her game.
But the four-time Slam champion went on to stress that she should be able to deal with such issues.
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