Leslie Roberts: Naomi Osaka's missed moment in Montreal

National Post

a day ago

In sports, as in life, grace in defeat often defines true greatness. That's what made Naomi Osaka's behavior after her loss in the National Bank Open final in Montreal so hard to watch.
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Eighteen-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko had just earned the biggest win of her young career—a statement victory against one of the sport's most recognizable names. It should have been a moment marked by celebration, pride, and mutual respect. Instead, it ended in awkward silence.
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Montreal fans stood by Mboko every step of the way. They filled the stands for each of her matches, cheered her on through every win, and saw her through to her first Masters 1000 title. And she, in turn, thanked them—graciously and consistently—match after match.
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Naomi Osaka after losing to Victoria Mboko in Montreal final
'I don't really wanna take up too much time. I'll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, & volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.'
pic.twitter.com/2FG17imqmK
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2025
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But when it was all over, something was missing: a proper acknowledgment from the runner-up.
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Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and global icon, knows the drill. You congratulate your opponent. You acknowledge the crowd. You recognize the moment. After all, Serena Williams did just that in 2018, when she famously lost to a young Naomi Osaka in a controversial U.S. Open final. Serena showed grace in the chaos, even shielding Naomi from the boos of the crowd.
As the match slipped away from her mid-game, Osaka's body language changed. Frustration took over. Emotion gave way to detachment. At the end, the handshake was barely a formality. During the trophy ceremony, she made no mention of Victoria Mboko. And when told she'd be speaking first, she was heard asking a tournament official, 'Do I have to?'
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Then, she skipped the post-match press conference entirely—releasing a brief written statement instead. Yes, she finally congratulated Mboko there. But by then, the damage was done.
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To dodge the media after a high-profile final isn't just a sign of poor sportsmanship—it's disrespectful to the press, the fans, and the sport. Technically, it could even result in a fine. More importantly, it's another indication that Osaka may still be battling the mental health struggles she's openly discussed in recent years.
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Her decision to step away from tennis in 2021 to focus on her mental health was courageous. She became a powerful voice in a long-overdue conversation. She's since returned to competition, given birth to a daughter, and slowly climbed back into form. Montreal was her first Masters 1000 final in years—a major comeback milestone.
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But when the pressure came, she folded—not just on the court, but off it. And that's what's most disappointing.