A heartbroken Naomi Osaka revealed that it feels like her “heart dies every time” she loses, following a second-round defeat to Karolina Muchova on her return to the US Open.
Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka was eliminated in the second-round on her return to the tournament, losing to the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova 6-3 7-6 (7-5) after missing three set points to force a decider.
Osaka defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the first round, however that’s as good as it got for the 2018 and 2020 title winner this time around, having missed last year’s edition of the tournament and the entire 2023 tennis season due to the birth of her daughter Shai.
A two-time Australian Open winner in 2019 and 2020, Osaka has struggled since her return from maternity leave. She returned to the WTA Tour in January and has failed to advance through the quarterfinals of any event since.
Like the US Open, the 26-year-old was eliminated from Wimbledon and the French Open in the second round and fell to a gut-wrenching defeat in the first round at the Australian Open.
Osaka Following US Open Exit: “My Heart Dies Every Time I Lose”
Speaking to the media in her post-match press conference, former world No. 1 Osaka revealed that losing takes a major toll on her personally.
“It’s a little rough because I do take these losses really personally. It’s like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose. I’ve been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them.
“It’s been a little difficult because obviously, I can only gauge how I’m doing by results. Like, I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it’s a little rough.”
She continued: “But, also, it’s been fun playing a lot of tournaments. It’s been a commitment for sure, but I’ve been able to go to different cities that I’ve never been to.”
Despite struggling to make deep runs into tournaments since her return, it’s not all doom and gloom for Osaka, as she feels as though her hard work will eventually be rewarded.
“Obviously, I’ve been a lot more negative after matches, but I really feel like I’m working way harder than I’ve ever worked in my life, so it needs to turn into something – well, it doesn’t need to, but I think it will.
“For me, I just appreciate the game, and I really want to try my best. How do I feel after this tournament? Really disappointed, but I’m trying to take the flowers from everything.
“I feel like it’s kind of ironic that even though I haven’t gotten to a final, I still in my brain think I can win these tournaments. I feel like eventually it will piece itself together.
“It might not be on the timeline I want it to be, but I think it will come eventually.”
