The former world No. 1 brushed away tears and revealed to podcast co-hosts Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran that she “never processed” the blowback she suffered after defeating Serena Williams to win her first major title.
Naomi Osaka opened up about her journey for self-worth on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, hosted by WTA player Caroline Garcia and partner Borja Duran.
The former world No. 1, who will compete next week at the National Bank Open in Toronto, brushed away tears recalling the brutal fan reaction to her 2018 US Open victory and the controversy that dampened the high that typically comes with winning a first Grand Slam title.
“I went on social media the night after I won,” she told Garcia and Duran. “I was reading a lot of people saying that I didn’t deserve to win. I remember I started crying a lot.”
Osaka burst onto the tennis scene with a scintillating two weeks at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, but the final against Serena Williams was marred by multiple code violations to the latter. Williams later comforted Osaka as the pro-American crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium rained down boos during the trophy ceremony, causing the then-21-year-old to hide her face behind her visor.
“Honestly, I never really processed it well,” Osaka said, looking back on the emotional whirlwind. “I just ignored it and kept moving on with my life.”
Osaka believes that compartmentalization was what ultimately led to a breakdown during 2021 Roland Garros, where she withdrew from the tournament following a refusal to participate in post-match press conferences.
Now 26 and back on tour as a mother to daughter Shai, Osaka believes the time away from tour was crucial to her mental health and lighter approach to what had been an all-consuming career.
“I didn’t see the worth I had as a human outside of tennis,” Osaka said. “I would lose a match and feel like my life is meaningless, like the only value I had was winning. I felt like I really needed to take a break to discover what I’m capable of or what I could give to the world.
“Honestly, the athlete’s life span is so short, it’s not like I’m going to be playing tennis forever, so, I needed to learn how to live in the real world.”
