OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 7, 2025

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

N. OSAKA/C. Tauson

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Naomi, congratulations. Into the final here at Montreal. What are the emotions going through your mind?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, definitely really happy. Yeah, just kind of sleepy now. That's all I can think of, but excited to play my first hard court final back.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You were leading 6-2, 4-2, and then what happened?

NAOMI OSAKA: Life, I don't know (laughing). I mean, she's a great player, and I feel like if I give her, like, a little look at something, but also I think I was playing well. She just is a really good returner, so it's a lot of pressure to keep holding serve.

Q. Tomorrow you'll be playing a young player who will have the crowd behind her who has been going from upsets to upsets. What's your outlook on that final?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, honestly, I'm not really thinking about it too much right now. I'm just trying to, I guess, recover as best as I can.

Then obviously I watched her play today, because they were the match in front of us. I thought it was really impressive how she stayed calm. I don't know if she had a match point down. She did? Yeah. Obviously that's really impressive for an 18-year-old. 18? Yeah.

So it's really cool I guess that she's doing this at her home tournament.

Q. In an old interview from four years ago she mentioned that you were her idol.

NAOMI OSAKA: Oh, God.

Q. Yeah. I was just wondering if that happens to you sometimes, and how do you react when you are playing a player who grew up idolizing you?

NAOMI OSAKA: I don't think that's ever happened. I'm shook (laughing). No, I mean, it's really cute. I guess I have to have a really good attitude tomorrow. I can't let her not like me anymore.

I don't know, it's funny because I was, like, I see her on the TV, and I was low-key, like, That's my little twin, because we both have our blue dresses and our buns and everything.

Yeah, I mean, I'm really honored. I always said that I would love to play someone that looked up to me in a way, so it's happening way sooner than I thought it would.

Q. Correct me if I'm wrong, and anyway my family would tell you that I'm wrong half of the time, but it felt like you might have been managing expectations through this tournament. Is that correct? If so, were you doing it for yourself or for other people, like me, for instance?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, managing expectations, I literally -- I tell everyone I just take it one match at a time. Then obviously the string of wins have led me here, but I'm also the type of person that loves learning from every match that I play.

Obviously I played a lot of really tough opponents. I'm really grateful for that. I'm, I don't know, managing expectations. I know I said that I wouldn't expect too much from myself now. I kind of have to enjoy the journey, so it's kind of funny that I'm here right now.

Q. It's a fairly quick turnaround. It would be your third match in three days. You say that you are very proud of your fitness level. Are you worried at all about tomorrow's match from this point of view?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, it's giving grandma low-key right now, but no. I think for me I'm a really fast healer anyway, regardless. That's always been a really good trait of mine. I've also been the type that feels better the more matches I play.

I don't know, I feel pretty good. So hopefully that's good enough to play against a teenager, because I know she'll be feeling great, so...