ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2026

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

N. OSAKA/I. Jovic

7-6, 6-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Naomi, congratulations. Into the fourth round here at Roland Garros for the first time. What has changed over the last few years that we're seeing you here now?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I don't know what's changed, but I do think I'm really grateful for every match that I am able to win. I just hope that I can keep continuing.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I have a question about your dress, because if you're going to the Met Gala, it doesn't have to be a consideration whether the dress is comfortable or not. If you're playing, obviously it needs to be something you're comfortable playing with. In terms of time commitment, how much time, how many fittings did you need to make sure you were actually comfortable playing in that dress?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I really love that you asked this question, because I have a lot of meetings with Nike, and I don't think people realize how much time and effort they put into every outfit.

So honestly, they plan it, like, a year and a half in advance, and that's, like, minimum. We have so many fittings throughout the year, because your weight can fluctuate or, like, the fabric can change a little bit.

There is a lot of effort that goes into it, but if you're asking, like, the exact amount of fittings, I want to say at least four. Yeah.

Q. From my perspective, it feels like there have been times over the past few years you have played really well but then an injury or something has affected your progress. The past few months you have been able to play quite a few matches and build rhythm. Does it feel like that from your perspective, and how has that helped you in a tough match like today?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, I definitely feel that way. I agree. Especially on this surface. Like, in the past, I'd usually get injured in Stuttgart, shout-out "Stuttgart," though. Yeah, then I'd kind of like hobble my way over to this tournament.

No, I have been feeling pretty good. Obviously I got injured in Australia, and then the Sunshine Swing wasn't the greatest for me. I really wanted to make it a goal to do really well on clay and grass.

Yeah, I don't want this to be my last, you know, round. I want to keep going. Yeah, I just want to keep focusing on, like, every match.

Q. I'm doing a story on laundry, how it's maybe changing on such a hot week here. I assume you can still send your dress out for dry cleaning, even with the sequins and stuff. Does clay get stuck in it because it's got all the bits and bobs?

NAOMI OSAKA: You know, I haven't looked at it carefully. I assume not. They seem to be doing a good job, so I haven't heard any complaints so far.

Q. How many of those dresses do you have? I never know how many versions of your kit you have for a slam.

NAOMI OSAKA: It depends. Some of them, like, anywhere between five and seven. Yeah.

Q. This is the third time you're going to be playing Aryna Sabalenka this season. I'm just wondering what are the biggest learnings you'll take from those previous two experiences?

NAOMI OSAKA: I don't really know. I kind of just -- I didn't know that (smiling), so I don't know. YOLO, like, whatever.

I feel like I played her, like I played a pretty good match in Madrid. I think I just dipped in the second and third set. Hopefully just keep the consistency and keep trying to be aggressive. Whatever happens, happens.

Q. It's notable in the matches that you have won here in particular, they haven't necessarily been runaway sets all the time. They have been really tight at moments. Those have been moments that they can cut one way or the other for you, but you have been standing up pretty well to them. How do you practice that? How do you improve that ability to kind of play some of your best tennis right now on this surface during the crunch moments?

NAOMI OSAKA: I just keep thinking of a stat Tomasz told me. I don't know if it's accurate, but it's been helping me out a lot. He said, like, I don't want to tell you guys the numbers, because I'm going to be totally wrong. He basically said Nadal has won 98% of his matches here, and he's only won, like, 50% of the points.

I just thought to myself, I don't have to win every single point, but I just have to try every single point, and hopefully it goes in my favor. Yeah. That's basically it.

Q. Mine is a fashion question again. Are those sequins, is it pokey? Does it poke you, one? Two, when you wear a dress like you have been wearing this week, all your earlier, the last two, three years, are you able to switch off from that and focus on your tennis? And how long does that take to just completely switch off from what you're wearing and focus on your tennis? Have you got better at that with every time you're out in one of these fabulous outfits?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, the sequins don't poke me. I'd say if I wanted to dry my hands on my dress, that would be impossible. That's the only adjustment that I have had to make. Other than that, it's actually quite comfortable.

As, like, for switching on and off for my fashion, I kind of consider it a part of me, so it's not like I have to switch on or switch off when I'm playing tennis. It's literally, like, my self-expression.

For me, it would be weirder to wear a normal tennis kit almost at this point, I think. Yeah, I mean, I feel like it's the fun of it, you know. For a long time, I didn't have fun for a little bit. And you guys know that period of time in my life.

Now I just want things to be fun, and I want to make it exciting for myself.

Q. The lack of women's matches in the Chatrier night slot has long been an important topic of conversation. It's fair to say your match today was worthy of any slot on any court. Do you think that's a topic that still needs to be addressed? If you do play Aryna in the next round, would you expect that match to be under consideration?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I'm pretty easygoing. I really don't mind what court I play or what time I play. I think you guys would be able to tell me, but the match I played with Iga, was it a night?

Q. No.

NAOMI OSAKA: Close enough. Hey... (Laughter.)

I don't know. In one point I understand because they would be, like, popcorn matches. But I'm so used to not playing night matches here and playing night matches in, like, US Open or something like that that I don't even associate this tournament with night matches.

Q. Best Roland Garros run so far. What has changed in your game, in your mindset? I have one quick question about football or soccer, I don't know which word you prefer. The FIFA World Cup is coming to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. You have strong ties with the U.S. Also Japan is playing in the tournament. How do you feel about that?

NAOMI OSAKA: I only remember the last half of your question, so I'm going to answer that one. I think it's really cool. I saw that Haiti is playing Brazil, so I'm really excited to watch that one, and it's on Juneteenth, so that's something I'm going to be definitely be tuned into.

I mean, I think World Cup is really special. Honestly, I'm not really a football watcher, so I only watch football during World Cup. It should be really exciting.

What was the first half? What changed? I think I'm just a lot calmer now. I feel like in the previous years I just wanted it so much. And now, obviously I do want it, but I accept that it's a process, and maybe it will eventually come and maybe it won't. I just have to, you know, enjoy it while it lasts.

Q. Another quick fashion question. If you were to be scheduled in a night match, is there a different outfit planned for the night session?

NAOMI OSAKA: You guys keep asking, and I keep providing. Why are we still asking? (Laughter.)

Yeah. I mean, I think it's fun. And every silhouette is inspired by something different, so...

(Naomi's answers to questions in Japanese.)

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I feel with Tomasz, it's not like he gives me clay-specific advice. Obviously, he'll tell me that these shots are probably better to hit on this surface, but he doesn't come in with a rule book on clay. He kind of just tells me more about my game and what he would prefer me to do. He gives me a lot of leeway, actually.

Yeah, honestly, I feel like one of the reasons I was really calm was because I knew she was young. I think younger players are some of the scariest players to play, because they have no fear, and they're kind of just going in there.

I also know going into the match she's a really great player, so I just hope that my veteran status could, like, shine a little bit in some moments, and I think it did. Yeah, she's a really great player, and I look forward to seeing her play a lot more matches on the tour.

Yeah, I mean, I noticed that she went down the line a lot on her forehand. On the backhand she didn't do it as much, but she would do it if I hit two or three balls there.

But it didn't necessarily stress me out, because I feel like that is a risk, anyways, that she's taking. She was pretty aggressive, which I think was her game, because someone asked me about, like, aggressiveness or defensiveness in press before. But, yeah, I mean, I think it's, like, one of those things. You just have to account for it. You can't necessarily let it stress you out. You just have to keep going.