MUBADALA DC OPEN

July 29, 2026

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

N. OSAKA/A. Krueger

6-3, 3-1 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Naomi, how do you evaluate yourself today?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, it's kind of tough for me to evaluate myself given how the match finished, but I think overall before she hurt herself, I felt like I was potentially going to play well.

So, yeah, I mean, I guess I'll just see what happens next match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Unrelated to the match today, I wanted to ask you about your experience in D.C., the barbecue, getting kind of more connected with the fans. I know it meant a lot to everyone here. I would like to hear more about that experience, how it came about and how you're feeling here in Washington.

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I think from my end I just have had so much good interactions with the fans here. Everyone is just really lovely. Like, even the staff and the people that work around the site. I kind of just wanted to throw that together to get to know everyone a lot more.

It's interesting because we go to so many different cities, but we don't necessarily speak to a lot of different people. I've always felt like D.C. is a little bit of, like, a melting pot, and that's just me looking at my Uber Eats because there's a lot of ethnic foods here.

Yeah, I just wanted to interact with the community.

Q. I'm just curious about the cookout, also. It feels like one of the most clearly extroverted things you've ever done to be, like, hey, I'm going to be here, lots of people come up and talk. Do you feel like you're getting meaningfully more outgoing and more eager to meet strangers and talk to people in that way?

NAOMI OSAKA: It's interesting because I feel like I do have that trait, but only for certain things. But I also feel like this year I've become a lot more extroverted. I feel a lot more comfortable talking to people.

I think when I was younger, small talk really stressed me out because I could say, Hi, how are you doing? They'd be, like, I'm fine, and you? Then I'd just look at them like, Where am I supposed to go with this conversation? So, yeah, I've kind of gotten over that hump.

I've just also like -- I don't know, my daughter has given me a lot more experience to really push myself to get out there.

Q. I noticed during the match you were trying to make a more concerted effort, at least in my eyes, to come forward to the net. Is that something that you have been trying to work on in practice?

NAOMI OSAKA: I think my grass court experience has made me a lot more comfortable going to the net. Then obviously talking with Tomasz, he's kind of given me confidence in the way of telling me that my volleys are actually decent.

So that is something that I'm trying to work on, but it's not like I'm suddenly going to become, like, a serve and volleyer overnight.

Q. I'm assuming that you're pretty confident the way the last few months have gone and happy about the way you're playing and things like that. When was the last time you came into this part of the season feeling this good about your game and this confident about what you might be able to accomplish over the next few months?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, that's a hard question for me just because historically I've never done good in Wimbledon, so this is, like, new territory in a way.

But, also, I'm not coming into this part of the year confident. I'm just more, like, happy to try new things, and if I fail, then that's fine. I'm just going to pick myself up and keep going. That's kind of how I have approached the year since clay court, and it seems to be going really well.

Other than that, to try to fake confidence I tell myself, like, I always do really well during the beginning and the end of the year. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Q. For a player like you who has described herself as a "hard-court kid" I think is the phrase you've used, what does it feel like to go from slippery stuff to getting your feet on solid ground?

NAOMI OSAKA: It's kind of funny because I thought leaving grass court, I'd be so happy to touch a hard court again, and then my first practice on hard court, I was a little bit, like, I might like grass a lot better.

But, no, it did take some adjusting. It did take some getting used to, but I think in that first practice back on hard court, I finally realized why people said my game could suit a grass court just because everything is a lot faster.

Yeah, it's been fun.

Q. You just said that you didn't feel that confident I guess coming into that part of the season. I'm just curious why that is, as you are notoriously really good on hard courts, especially this time? Why do you feel like you might not be as confident as you might want to be?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, it's not saying I'm not confident in my abilities. I think, you know, if it got down to it, I think I'd give anyone a run for their money.

But it's more for me internally like the level of perfection that I strive towards, it's kind of inhumane a little bit. I always just put that goal on myself in practices, in matches. I would say that's why I don't feel, quote, unquote, confident is because, like, there's always this next thing that I feel like I could keep doing.

But I never sign up for a tournament, you know, thinking that I won't win.

Q. Just going back to the cookout, I know you talked about how D.C. is one of the various places on tour, and it's a great melting pot of diverse communities. I guess looking forward, is that something you'd kind of want to do at other cities on tour? I guess the second part of the question, since it was like a 20-hour, last-minute thing, do you like the spontaneous nature of planning these type of things?

NAOMI OSAKA: I definitely do like the spontaneous nature. I feel like my team probably doesn't as much, but they kind of are used to me and my shenanigans a little bit. It is something that I would want to do in other cities, especially, like, cities that I feel like I need to explore a lot more.

I guess I'll see what happens, but I kind of want to do another one in New York just because I really love that city and the Caribbeans. The Caribbeans are there, and I just love feeling like I'm in the islands, so...