THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 7, 2026

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/N. Osaka

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Naomi, obviously not the result you were hoping for today, but just give us your thoughts on the match.

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, it was a really tough match for me. I think I can try to find positives in that, and that's kind of my mindset.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are the positives you can take from today's match?

NAOMI OSAKA: Hmmm...

Q. Or the tournament as a whole?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, the tournament as a whole, it's the furthest I've gotten here. For me, that's a positive. Obviously I would have loved to get a lot farther.

As of today, like, if I think about my match today, it's hard for me to immediately think of something positive. I feel like it's hard 'cause I played so well in my last match, then today I just feel like I didn't play well at all and I didn't have any energy.

I mean, the score was pretty good for what it was, I guess (smiling).

Q. When you say you didn't have any energy, was that a surprise to you based on how maybe you woke up in the day? Was it just when you were out there?

NAOMI OSAKA: No, I mean, I could feel it coming 'cause I've played way more matches than I usually do before a slam. I just wanted to try that to, like, see the rhythm, you know? Obviously it worked out well. But I think I probably won't do that again.

But yeah, I would say it was like an accumulation of playing two weeks straight without a day off.

Q. The heat is getting higher and higher. Do you think that this little percentage between winning and losing is affecting some players more than others, probably you, where you make one mistake more?

NAOMI OSAKA: No, for me it's the opposite. If it was hotter, I probably would have won. I'm not going to lie. Like, I'm a person that if it's really, really hot, I feel like it activates my powers or something. Like, I kind of prefer it that way.

Q. The challenges of facing Karolina compared to Aryna a couple days earlier. They're such different players. How you kind of found that.

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, definitely different players, I think. But I've played both of them multiple times. Granted, this was the first time I played both on grass. I feel like with Muchova, I mean, her slice, and going in, she has really good hands. I mean, that's really difficult on grass.

But also, I feel like everyone presents like a whole different set of challenges. It's up to you to figure out how to overcome that.

Q. Were you okay with your ankle late on in the match? Were you suffering some discomfort there?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, it's not my ankle. I'm just getting old (smiling). I have, like, plantar fasciitis on my feet. Well, that's what we assume it is.

No, that happened in Germany. It's never my ankles. I actually have really flexible ankles.

Thanks for asking (smiling).

Q. Do you leave here feeling like you're closer to winning another slam?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, that's a tough question. Like I know my results don't show it, but whenever I play a slam, my intention is to win. And obviously last year I got to the semis. I wanted so desperately to be in the final to have that opportunity, but Amanda played insane. I honestly wasn't even mad that she won.

This one is a little more upsetting to me because I feel like there was so much more I could have done. I think maybe I should find the positive in that because I've gotten to the quarters and I feel like I can still improve so much as a player.

Yeah, I feel like in my head I think there's still an opportunity to win a slam.

Q. Is the plantar fasciitis a major concern for you? Is it something you've always had to deal with? Has it gotten worse over time?

NAOMI OSAKA: It kind of started happening off-season last year. I feel like maybe it's 'cause I'm a lot more springy on my toes. I think it reactivated on grass court because I'm pushing off a lot more to go forward.

I don't think it will bother me on hard court. I'm thinking it was maybe just the surface change.

Q. How much encouragement has this tournament given you that you can play on grass really well?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely given me a confidence boost. I think getting the furthest that I've gotten, going to a final on grass, too, it's definitely really encouraging.

Going on to hard court, which is my favorite surface, I hope I'm able to learn a lot and apply it to become a more complete player.

Q. Your serve, obviously you served amazing through the tournament, but towards the end of the match it let you down a bit. How did you feel there?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, it kind of just felt like my legs were completely gone. Then I felt like I couldn't really push off anymore. It was a really weird feeling, like my legs were disconnected from the upper half of my body.

Q. Injury or tiredness?

NAOMI OSAKA: I'm pushing 30, so I guess that's what it is. (Smiling.) I'm just joking.

No, I really just think I need to map out my schedule better. But I lived and I learned, so...

(Naomi's answers to questions in Japanese.)

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, with Tomasz, I feel like we both wish that I could have done a lot better. That's kind of the goal going into the next tournaments.

But with him, I feel like, as a player, he's giving me a lot more confidence to I guess trust myself, trust the pace of my ball, and also don't be scared to make mistakes. Obviously I made a lot of mistakes today, but I feel like I'll remember that and hopefully it won't happen again.

Yeah, I mean, like the grass court season is probably the shortest season of the year. Like, if I compare it to the clay and obviously the Australian swing, there's been a lot in my game that I've tried to I guess put together.

I feel like on grass, it's felt a lot more stable. I feel like on defense, I play a lot better. I'm able to hit the balls harder and kind of - what's the word - like if the person is being aggressive, then I -- oh, counter-punch. I was able to counter-punch a lot more. Those are one of the biggest things I've learned on grass.

I think today I wish I could have done more on the return. Maybe that's like the biggest thing I'll take away from this swing, yeah.