US OPEN

September 5, 2025

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/N. Osaka

6-7, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Great tournament. Great match. Congratulations on the entire run.

Q. How have you been processing this match since you came off court?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, honestly I don't feel sad. It's really weird. Well, it's not weird, because I just feel like I did the best that I could. Honestly, it's kind of inspiring for me, because it makes me just want to train and try to get better, and hopefully, yeah, just give it my very best shot again and see what happens.

But I think I can't be mad or upset at myself.

Q. You have never lost at this stage of a major before. Does it feel different than you thought it would?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, not really. I kind of respect it more. I'm happy that I lost in the semis instead of the first round or the third round or whatever I usually get to.

Q. What was it like playing against Amanda in that sort of form tonight? How big a challenge was that? Was it an even bigger challenge than you expected?

NAOMI OSAKA: I wouldn't say it's a bigger challenge than I expected, because I kind of knew that she's that type of player. It was just kind of funny at times, because there is no pattern to what she's doing. Like, it's kind of like she just hits at the empty court or whatever, and it usually goes in (smiling).

So, yeah, I mean, obviously she went to the finals of Wimbledon, and now she's in the finals here, so it just shows that she's a really good player.

Q. Great tournament. Is it hard to play against someone who plays kind of similar to you just in terms of, like, the ball? Or maybe when you're playing her, it doesn't feel similar at all, but from the outside looking in looks it just seems like two similar people just hitting really hard at each and going for their shots.

NAOMI OSAKA: Oh, honestly, I thought she's, like, the complete opposite of me. Just because I feel like with me, I'm not trying to hit hard. Like, when I'm playing, I'm watching my opponent, and maybe the pace comes off harder, but I was kind of blocking her ball sometimes. It kind of depends the pace that you give me. I play everyone a little bit differently.

I just happen to know I have to be aggressive with her, because obviously if I give her a softer ball, she's just going to crush it, so yeah.

Q. After winning that tight first set, in that second set, it was 4-All, and you had three game points on serve, and then Amanda won the five points in a row to break. I know you broke back after that, but did you feel as if that was maybe a turning point, or was there some other point in the match where you may not have been as in control as you thought?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, it's kind of hard to say. I think, you know, you can kind of only live and learn, and for me, obviously I didn't remember it until you said it, so now I'm thinking about it.

Yeah, I mean, I went to that match knowing she's one of the best returners in the world. Obviously I feel like I'm one of the best servers. It's a little unfortunate, but also, I can't really say I have played, like, many matches in the semis of a slam since I've been back. I would say she has a little bit under her belt more than me.

Yeah, hopefully I can be in this position one more time and see if I learn something.

Q. As you leave now after playing so well in the last couple of weeks, do you think there is still some work to be done, I'm not quite there yet, or are you thinking, yeah, I can win Australia, or I'm ready to start winning a lot of these now?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, like, even at my quote, unquote worst, I have never played a tournament and thought that I would lose in the first round. If I enter a tournament, I want to win.

So I would say, like, getting far in the US Open was definitely a confidence booster. Doing well in Montreal was a confidence booster, but the season is not done yet. I honestly got a little farther than I thought I would. I just wanted to be seeded in slams, but now I don't know what ranking I'm at, but I think I'm kind of getting up there.

Yeah, obviously I want to do well in Australia. I always happen to play well there. So doing well in the Asian swing, and then closing off the rest of the year is my goal now.

Q. What would have been the next Labubu, and can you talk about that whole...

NAOMI OSAKA: Oh, don't me cry, man. Oh, my God, the most devastating question.

So I literally just talked about this, but I wanted to make one of myself in my last year outfit, and it was the green one. I would have had the bow, and I'm sick about it. Oh, my God, that's, like, the worst thing. Honestly, I'm fine losing, but don't ask me about this Labubu, man. Yeah, it would have been me.

(Naomi's answers to questions in Japanese.)

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, I think everything is a process. Obviously this is my second tournament with Tomasz. I have to take that into account. I have to understand what my level is, what I was able to achieve last year, and I think if I put everything into perspective, I feel like I did really good this year.

Also, I just like to grow year from year. Even before playing this tournament, I already exceeded my expectations.

Yeah, I was kind of just thinking about it, but my worst year is someone's best year, in retrospect. So I just have to find ways to trick my mind into being positive.

Yeah, I would say it's not major. I definitely did feel like I think I'm just getting older, like a little bit of aches and pains. But it would be weird to get to this stage of the tournament and not feel something.

Yeah, I just consider that, like, the price of playing really high-level tennis.

I think for me what I, like, worked the hardest on, I mean, honestly probably mentality. It was really tough for me to, like, get over the hump of last year and even the beginning of this year and just, like, be very humble and accept -- like, even playing the challenger earlier this year was a little tough for me.

Yeah, just knowing that I love the sport. I want to play matches. I want to play in Arthur Ashe Stadium and doing whatever it takes to get there. I think just willing to accept the grind for me is something that I worked really hard on.