The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Osaka cites pressure in loss
TOKYO — It wasn’t the ending that Naomi Osaka — nor her multitudes of fans across Japan and worldwide — had expected.
The start of the Tokyo Olympics, however, will forever be a bright memory for the tennis superstar.
Osaka herself said after lighting the Olympic cauldron during last week’s opening ceremony that it was “undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and honor I will ever have in my life.”
So maybe — just maybe — that will allow Osaka to cope with her unexpected 6-1, 6-4 loss to former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the third round of the Olympic tennis tournament on Tuesday.
Not immediately, though. “I’m disappointed in every loss, but I feel like this one sucks more than the others,” Osaka said.
As a four-time Grand Slam champion, the highest-paid female athlete in the world and the host country’s poster girl for the Games, the huge expectations were hard to handle.
“I definitely feel like there was a lot of pressure for this,“Osaka said. “I think it’s maybe because I haven’t played in the Olympics before and for the first year (it) was a bit much.”
The second-ranked Osaka, who was born in Japan and grew up in the United States, struggled with her usually reliable groundstrokes while the left-handed Vondrousova produced a series of drop-shot winners and other crafty shots that drew her opponent out of her comfort zone.
“It’s tough for her also playing in Japan and in the Olympics,” the 42ndranked Vondrousova said. “It’s so much pressure, I cannot imagine.”
Osaka won her opening two matches in straight sets following a two-month mental health break. But conditions were different Tuesday with the roof closed because it was raining outside.
Osaka had talked earlier this week about how “happy” she was to be playing again. That came after she announced in May going into the French Open that she wouldn’t speak to reporters at that tournament, saying those interactions create doubts for her.
Then, after her firstround victory in Paris, she skipped the mandatory news conference.
Osaka was fined $15,000 and — surprisingly — publicly reprimanded by those in charge of Grand Slam tournaments, who said she could be suspended if she kept avoiding the media.
The next day, Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros entirely to take a mental health break, revealing she has dealt with depression and anxiety.
She sat out Wimbledon, too. So the Tokyo Games marked her return to competition.
“I’ve taken long breaks before and I’ve managed to do well,” said Osaka, who initially did not comment after her loss, then came back out and met with a small group of reporters. “I’m not saying that I did bad right now, but I do know that my expectations were a lot higher.
“I feel like my attitude wasn’t that great because I don’t really know how to cope with that pressure, so that’s the best that I could have done in this situation.”
The day wasn’t a complete loss for Japan since Kei Nishikori, a bronze medalist in 2016, beat Marcos Giron of the United States 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1 to reach the last 16.
Third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece also defeated an American, Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 6-4.
And Novak Djokovic added another medal event to his program by entering the mixed doubles draw with Serbian partner Nina Stojanovic.
Tsitsipas is also entered in mixed with Maria Sakkari, who lost to fourthseeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in singles in three sets.
Svitolina’s quarterfinal opponent will be Camila Giorgi of Italy, who defeated Wimbledon finalist Karolina Plisova.
Also reaching the last eight were seventh-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain, No. 9 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and No. 13 Anastasia Sergeyevna Pavlyuchenkova of ROC.
Vondrousova’s quarterfinal opponent will be Paula Badosa of Spain.
In other men’s matches, eighth-seeded Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, No. 12 Karen Khachanov of ROC and Jeremy Chardy of France advanced.
In doubles, Andy Murray and British partner Joe Salisbury reached the quarterfinals.