Emotional return for Osaka

Japan’s World No. 2 breaks down in her first media interaction following an exchange with scribe

Naomi Osaka struggled to hold back tears in her first press conference since pulling out from the French Open over mental health concerns. 

Osaka, 23, broke down during a press conference at the Cincinnati Open on Monday when local reporter Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty appeared to confront her about balancing having a big media profile and not speaking to the media.

“You’re not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format. Yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform,” Daugherty asked during the zoom interview. 

“I guess my question is: How do you balance the two?” Daugherty added.

Osaka took a moment to gather herself before replying, “When you say I’m not crazy about dealing with you guys, what does that refer to?”

After a brief exchange, the Japanese said, “I’m not really sure how to balance the two. Like I’m figuring it out at the same time as you are.”

Teary-eyed Naomi

But Osaka started tearing when another reporter asked tennis-related questions and the four-time Grand Slam champion left the room to compose herself.

Osaka then returned to the interview room to continue the press conference. 

“Ever since I was young, I have had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it’s because of my background as well as how I play. I’m a tennis player. That’s why a lot of people are interested in me,” she said.

“I would say in that regard I’m quite different to a lot of people, and I can’t really help that there are some things that I tweet or some things that I say that kind of create a lot of news articles or things like that, and I know it’s because I have won a couple of Grand Slams and I have done a lot of press conferences that these things happen.” 

Step by step

Playing in her first hardcourt event in the US after a difficult summer when she withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon due to mental issues, Osaka said she will be taking it one match at a time in the Cincinnati Masters.

“I would say when I came back from Tokyo, I took three days off, and then I immediately started practicing again. For me, I felt like I played well in Tokyo, but there were still some decisions that I didn’t make that well, so I just wanted to get that feeling back because I honestly haven’t played many matches this year.

“So I would say I’m trying to take it one match at a time, and I don’t even know who my opponent is going to be, so just trying to train really hard each day and see where that takes me,” Osaka said.

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