ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2026

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

N. OSAKA/D. Vekic

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Naomi, congratulations. Into the third round here at Roland Garros. Just give us your takeaways from today's match and your performance.

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, today was really tough. Yeah, but I was glad to be able to finish in two because every game felt really, really close.

But, yeah, that's my takeaway.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I wanted to ask about before the match. Am I right in thinking that you got into a bit of a car crash two days ago?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah.

Q. Can you give a second-by-second account of it? Were you scared for your life?

NAOMI OSAKA: I realize in moments of danger, or whatever, I just say very slowly, like, Hey, it's happening. I realize I don't really panic when the situation is occurring.

So I wasn't scared for my life, but I was just, like, whoa, this bus is really backing up into us, and you could hear the car crunching. Yeah, that was a really interesting situation. So I hope it doesn't happen again today.

Q. (Off microphone.)

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, it was I think it just couldn't see us. It literally was crunching the car, and it just kept going. I was a little bit worried that it would literally just -- you know, when it's like the car is being hit, and it would turn the car, but I think eventually it saw us, so...

Q. It just struck me two days ago when you were talking about today's opponent, you mentioned her silver medal at the Olympics instead of her Grand Slam achievements. I was wondering, you had a very prominent role at the Tokyo Olympics, of course. I was wondering, is it somehow a regret of yours of not having performed better than you have at the Olympic Games?

NAOMI OSAKA: Not really. I was just thinking in my mind, I don't know if she's gotten to the finals here, but technically the finals of the Olympics is the silver medal.

So in terms of matches that she's played on this surface, I think that would have been the highest level.

If you are asking me if I regret anything, not really. I kind of regret not staying at the village, but I don't want to share a room with somebody. I'm so sorry. So that's, yeah...

But I like walking around and seeing all the other athletes.

Q. Thinking of Los Angeles 2028, close to your home, so to speak, is it something that you look forward to play?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, if I'm able to play, I would really love to, but I kind of have to see if I even qualify for that in the first place.

Q. There's some growing talk that Serena Williams may come back and play at Wimbledon. I just wanted to get your view on that and what you think, if it's good for tennis in general? What do you think about it?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I don't really care about tennis. I think it's good for me. I'll be very entertained.

But, yeah, I mean, overall the scope of it, I think it will bring people to watch tennis, which she always does bring an audience with her. So, yeah, I think it's good.

I'm going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I think a lot of people are. I feel like for me everyone knows Serena and Venus were my role models growing up, so it's going to be cool to see her on the grounds again.

Q. Can we talk about your next opponent, what you think of her game and, yeah, her rise obviously up the rankings too?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I don't know much about her. Like, I've seen her play a little bit in passing. I haven't sat and watched a full match, but I'm really impressed by her.

I think she's gotten here very quickly. Well, I can say quickly, but obviously it's been years of hard work for her. I really like her. I watched her play Paolini in Australian Open a little bit. She is really, really good obviously.

I'm excited for my match, because actually, I've had a lot of chances to play her, but she would either lose in that round or I would lose in that round, so we never officially met up. It's cool that it's happening here.

Q. I was wondering if you just had a story behind the white and different Nike jacket outfit today? Also on Iva, she was talking the other day how she was a super aggressive first strike-ish player, and defense only started coming to her after she lost the ego part of, it because she would have the reaction of, like, Oh, my gosh, how dare you be aggressive against me when I am supposed to be the aggressive one. I wonder if that's something you can relate to, or maybe not because you played some very aggressive opponents quite earlier in year career, but talking about the mental factor of defense as well. Two very different questions, sorry.

NAOMI OSAKA: No, you're good. For the outfit, the inspo was, like -- I don't want to say Victorian, but you know the ladies that have the dresses with the, like, poof in the background? That was the inspo, and I'm so terrible of me to not know the correct term of that.

But when you asked about defense or aggression, honestly, I don't really care if I win the point if I'm defensive or aggressive. You win the point regardless, you know? I don't mind either way.

I think for me when it gets tricky is when you play people you have to be aggressive against. For example, with me or just in general, I feel like it would be hard to beat someone like Sabalenka just being defensive. I think on the tour you don't really see people that are purely defensive anymore. You have to know how to finish the point.

But if you're asking me, straight up, I have never had an ego about being aggressive or not. Honestly, when I was younger, I'd prefer to play defensively.

Q. A lot has been made of the heat at Roland Garros this year. I know you're a player who likes the heat, right, and you grew up playing in it. I'm curious, how do you rate the level of heat on court right now? Is it nothing to you, or does it feel quite a bit...

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I use ice towel, but it's kind of like I had the habit of using the ice towel the first day. I don't think it was as hot as the first match I played.

But I kind of like it. I kind of want them to turn it up a little bit. I don't know. I like the feeling of working hard and sweating.

Yeah, for me it's something that I'm very comfortable with.

(Naomi's answers to questions in Japanese.)

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, I've definitely tried to focus a lot on my physical fitness, but that's also something that I've grown into since coming back from pregnancy. Like, I've told everyone that when I came back, I didn't feel like I was in my body, and I think over the course of however, I guess, three years now, I'm feeling more and more like I'm me. Also just trying to improve. I think tennis is really growing, and it's changed a little back from my days, I would say. But, yeah, just focusing on trying to get as many balls back as I can and not getting injured.

Yeah, I mean, honestly if I think about it, mentally I am a lot different than I was maybe even last year. I think for me last year it would stress me out so much that the matches were tight, that I couldn't really handle it, and I didn't really know. I would panic a lot. Then this year I'm just trying to play it point by point. Honestly, I'm okay with the concept of losing just as long as I gave it my best shot, and I made it as tough as I could for the opponent. I was thinking that during my match today, because there were moments that she broke me, and I just wanted to stay calm and try to give her a run for her money.

I mean, I think on the tactics, clay you obviously expect the point to be longer. I think today I did a couple things wrong, maybe, that I could have done better. But yeah, I mean, I've been talking with Tomasz a lot. He gave me a game plan for today. Maybe I didn't listen as well as I could have, but yeah, I feel like clay I like the movement on it, especially on my forehand side. I feel like since my balls are a little bit heavier there, it kind of pushes the opponent back, and it doesn't necessarily happen on hard court. So, yeah, hopefully I'm going to play someone that may or may not dropshot me again, because I'm realizing that's a trend on clay courts.