THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2025

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/N .Osaka

3-6, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Naomi, tough loss today. Sum up the match, please.

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, it was I guess okay.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You fought hard to come back in the last set. What do you think was the difference in the end?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think she just won, like, a couple of the break points that I couldn't convert.

Q. Compared to Paris, does it feel kind of similar? You talked then about being hard on yourself. Maybe it's too early to kind of process this one.

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think in Paris I was just very -- like, when I sat here, I was very emotional. Now I don't feel anything, so I guess I'd prefer to feel nothing than everything.

Q. The other day you were talking about being a mother and how when you're playing tennis, your mind focuses on that. What is it like playing as a mother? Can things improve? Have they improved or not? What would you like to see better here and in other tournaments, as well?

NAOMI OSAKA: I'm really sorry. Can you ask me that -- no, not again, but I can't answer that right now. Maybe another time.

Q. Obviously today was a very close match. You played very well at times. Do you feel like you're getting closer to making the kind of deep runs at Grand Slams that I guess you probably want to make?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, yes, but honestly, right now I'm just really upset. I think if I look back on it, I can be happy with how I played. I think I started getting a lot more comfortable on grass.

Clearly, I need to work on a couple things, but yeah... Overall, I don't know if she is a great grass court player. I didn't look at her grass record, but she was playing pretty well to me, so yeah.

Q. How much sort of are you looking forward to the American hard court swing?

NAOMI OSAKA: I'm not really sure right now, to be honest. Obviously, I look forward to it. I think last year I put a lot of stress on myself because I know I have a history of playing well there, and then also the Asian Swing.

I am looking forward to it, but I don't want to kind of psych myself out, yeah.

Q. Are you more upset because of all the effort you put into getting back to your top level? What is the main reason you think you might be more upset today?

NAOMI OSAKA: I think it's 'cause I actually thought I could play well, like, in general. Not saying I didn't play well, but make a deep run here. I wanted to do better than I did before. Also, I felt like I was trying so hard. I low key busted a vein in my hand, so...

Q. Despite the loss, do you see some positives in the last few weeks, or are you still reflecting on today so far?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I feel like I could say -- I'm just going to be a negative human being today. I'm so sorry. I have nothing positive to say about myself, which is something I'm working on.

Yeah, I mean, it was my daughter's birthday, so I was happy about that this week. Other than that, it's just today I'm just constantly replaying the match now.

Q. When you're actually out on the court and you're trying to get over the line in a close match like that, is there kind of an inner dialogue going on? Do you find yourself sort of trying to talk yourself into doing the things you want to do?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, yeah, I think every tennis player talks to themselves. That's why we're all kind of crazy.

I mean, I think for me, it's not like I can really even be mad at myself. I was thinking about the break points that I had. She hit some really good serves. Then she hit a backhand. I can't really do that much about it.

Obviously I'm still going to beat myself up a little bit. Yeah, I think we all kind of talk to ourselves.

Q. Looking at someone like Pavlyuchenkova or a lot of other players on tour, does it give you hope that this one big run can come out of absolutely nowhere after a string of less good results?

NAOMI OSAKA: Are you talking about for her or for me?

Q. For anyone in tennis.

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think everyone's really good. That's kind of the issue. I also feel like there are players that kind of grind on tour and then suddenly they make a breakthrough. Sometimes they're older. Sometimes they're younger.

Yeah, definitely I feel like anyone can have a great run. For me, I thought maybe I could have a great run, but clearly not, so...

Q. You feel these losses so strongly. Do you ever think maybe I can live my life without tennis and just enjoy other things?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah. I feel like I'd be kind of crazy to not, but I think right now I have so many not goals but things I want to attempt to achieve. It would be kind of not funny, but I feel like while I still have the opportunity to try to do it, I want to, even though I get very upset when I lose, but I think that's my competitive nature. That's also the younger sister syndrome.

Yeah, I mean, no person wants to feel this way, like, multiple times throughout the year, but tennis players are crazy, so...

(Naomi's answers to questions in Japanese.)

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think for me, I don't really have many regrets. If I can think of things that I wanted to do better, maybe be more aggressive on her serve. I know she was very aggressive on mine, on the second serves. I hit a couple of double-faults on important moments. So clearly it was working for her.

Overall, I don't know. It's very hard to say when you know you've tried your best, so... I think, yeah, just the return.

Yeah, I mean, I think definitely my relationship with grass improves, even though I felt I wanted to do better results-wise. I think with each tournament, I learned a little bit more.

I think with her today, I don't know if I've only ever played her on hard court. I know thinks the first time I played her on grass. I think her game's a little more suited for grass than mine at the current moment.

Yeah, I'm glad to be done with this, and I'm looking forward to the hard courts.