Naomi Osaka Breaks Down and Exits Press Conference Following First Round Defeat, Expressing Concern Over Potential Fines

After her opening-round defeat to Paula Badosa at Roland Garros, Naomi Osaka sat down for a press conference, her hair adorned with pink “sakura” cherry blossom accessories. Streaks of tears marked her cheeks as she faced the media.

With her eyes red from crying, Osaka struggled to respond to a few questions before she needed to step away from the interview room after the match, which ended 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4 against the 10th-seeded Badosa.

“I feel like I should be performing better as time passes. But, to be honest, I’ve expressed this before — perhaps a couple of years back or maybe more recently — I truly dislike disappointing others,” said Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion from the US Open and Australian Open, who has yet to progress beyond the third round at Roland Garros.

Referring to her current coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who previously worked with the legendary Serena Williams, she commented: “He transitions from coaching the greatest player of all time to managing performances like this. You know what I mean? Apologies for the expletive. I hope I don’t face a fine.”

Born in Japan and relocating to the United States as a child, Osaka fell victim to 54 unforced errors during the match—double that of Badosa, who previously reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 2021.

After securing the first set, Osaka received treatment for blisters on her hands and took a moment to trim her sakura-inspired fingernails on the sidelines.

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She attributed these blisters—similar to those she dealt with at the Italian Open earlier this month—to “the friction of clay, as I don’t get blisters on other surfaces.”

Osaka’s powerful serves and groundstrokes lost their edge on the clay courts, as evidenced in her match against Badosa. She was broken five times and recorded five double-faults, nearly matching her total of seven aces.

Having once held the No.1 ranking and currently sitting at No.49, Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros in 2021 before her second-round match, citing “huge waves of anxiety” before media engagements and revealing her struggles with depression. Since then, she has taken multiple mental health breaks from the tour.

Her courage helped change the dialogue around mental health in athletics, bringing awareness to its importance for athletes, sports fans, and society as a whole.

This time last year at Roland Garros, Osaka delivered one of her most impressive performances since returning to the sport after becoming a mother, nearly shocking the eventual tournament winner, Iga Swiatek.

After taking a break from the questions during the media interaction, Osaka returned to answer a question from a Japanese journalist while looking ahead to Wimbledon, which kicks off on grass on June 30.

“I’m not entirely sure of my grass-season schedule right now,” Osaka commented. “I wasn’t really anticipating a first-round exit.”