UNITED CUP

January 4, 2026

Go Soeda

Naomi Osaka

Nao Hibino

Shintaro Mochuzuki

Yasutaka Uchiyama

Team Japan

Press Conference

Great Britain - 2

Japan - 1

THE MODERATOR: Thoughts on your team's performance.

GO SOEDA: Yeah, it's a good performance. Especially today, yeah, it's great. Yeah, it's great performance, especially mixed doubles. We are very enjoyed, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. (Question about player change.)

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, honestly for me, that didn't really change my preparation. I'm the type of person that goes in there focusing on myself.

Yeah, I mean, I kind of learned last minute, but didn't really matter all too much to me anyway.

Q. You said you weren't feeling 100%. Are you feeling a little better? Did that affect you at all?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, I definitely do feel better every day. But it's ironic, literally every time someone asks me, I say yes, then I start coughing. I'm just not going to jinx myself.

Yeah, I definitely... I don't know. I don't know what's going on with the cough. I think it will be fine for Australian Open.

Q. Curious how you feel about your performance and how tight that match was.

NAO HIBINO: Yeah, definitely I really appreciate this opportunity. I think we showed some great tennis, we all, whole team. I really appreciate this opportunity to be part of this team.

Yeah, I really enjoy (smiling).

YASUTAKA UCHIYAMA: We had great game today. Much better than two days ago. We don't have much experience to play mixed doubles, but we had many things to have to manage it. But we had a good practice yesterday. That's why we had a great game today.

At the last moment, they play really well. Yeah, I'm looking forward for this experience for my career.

Q. Naomi, I know you're an introvert yourself. That was a nice moment on the court. What is the like also being the vet and make people feel comfortable, using your experience off the court?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, I think for me, obviously I guess to some people I'd be considered a vet. In my head, I'm always kind of learning from everyone.

For me, that's what I appreciate most about being on this team, like, everyone is so amazing and everyone also has their own different personality. It's kind of cool to see that mesh as a team.

Yeah, I just appreciate being able to interact more.

Q. Naomi, obviously your United Cup campaign has come to an end now. How have you found your first experience of the tournament? How do you feel it has prepared you for the start of the Australian season?

NAOMI OSAKA: I think for me it's definitely really been fun. I've always wanted to play and I've as wanted to see what it's about. Just to be here with this team was really incredible. Like I feel like I made a lot of really good memories for the start of the year.

Honestly, I had a lot of fun cheering on the bench. Like, it was really cool (smiling). Yeah, I just enjoyed it a lot. So I'm thankful.

Q. Breaking into top 100 last year, this year you'll be playing a lot of these events, playing against the top players more regularly.

SHINTARO MOCHIZUKI: Yeah, I mean, I know it's going to be tough, every match. Even if it's a challenger, 250, anything, everybody's good. I have to be ready for all the matches.

Yeah, I enjoyed a lot here in Perth, especially with this team. Court as well, off court as well. Yeah, I didn't get the win, so I just want to get better and next year hopefully I can come here and play again with this team.

Q. At the US Open you said you wanted to get a beer and watch the baseball. Did you do that?

SHINTARO MOCHIZUKI: Yeah, I haven't done it for a while now. It's off-season for baseball, as well. But I think I'll have a beer tonight, yeah (smiling).

Q. Naomi, I saw you had a great performance at the US Open, but it was tough in Japan. I think you had an MRI on your birthday or something. What was that like, recovering from it?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, it was definitely really tough. I don't know, I feel like everything happens for a reason. I think for me, it kind of allowed me to, like, regroup.

Obviously Japan, both Osaka and Toray were really important to me. When I couldn't play those, it was definitely devastating. I just had to take the good, which was doing well in the US Open.

I have high hopes for myself obviously in Melbourne. But I can only take it one day at a time and one match at a time. That's what I'm attempting to do now.