Naomi Osaka's ‘negative' admission after difficult Wimbledon loss
The string of upsets continue to pile up at Wimbledon. Naomi Osaka lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets to go out in the third round. After winning the first set 6-3, Osaka lost the remaining two 6-4, 6-4.
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She double-faulted 6 times, had a first serve percentage of 57%, and was 4/10 on break points.
Afterward, Osaka was hard on herself in the post-match press conference, per ESPNW. She was also disappointed that she wasn't able to succeed around the time of her daughter's birthday.
'I'm just gonna be a negative human being today,' she said. 'I'm so sorry. I have nothing positive to say about myself which is something that I'm working on. I mean it was my daughter's birthday so I was happy about that this week, but other than that it's just today I'm constantly replaying the match.'
It's been a difficult time for Osaka. In late May, Osaka lost in the first round of the French Open. During the post-match press conference, she broke down in tears and expressed her anguish at disappointing her coaches and fans.
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Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam winner. She won the US Open in 2018 and 2020. In addition, Osaka won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.
As for Wimbledon, she made it to the third round in 2017 and 2018. However, she missed the tournaments in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The following year, Osaka returned from maternity leave and won her first-round match at Wimbledon.
Naomi Osaka and her difficulties on grass
Wimbledon's hallowed grass court continues to derail Osaka. It's not just Wimbledon, but grass courts in general have hindered Osaka's progress over the course of her career.
During her stint as a junior player, Osaka played primarily on hard courts, where she typically excels. Furthermore, she has experienced injuries and slip-ups while playing on grass.
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According to Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press, Osaka played with fear on grass due to a knee injury a decade ago.
'With age, fear kind of crept along and, I guess, paralyzed me, in a way,' Osaka said.
She has a 5-4 overall record on grass courts.
Related: Aryna Sabalenka's consistency reaches Serena Williams heights at Wimbledon
Related: Wimbledon carnage in women's draw reaches heights seen just one time in Open Era
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