Naomi Osaka announced on Friday, Sept. 3, that she may be stepping away from the tennis courts for a while. Osaka had a near meltdown during her US Open match with Leylah Fernandez and threw her racket to the court several times during the competition. She also walked off the court into a bathroom without any warning during the match and was issued a warning for hitting a ball into the stands.
After her defeat by Hernandez who won the match 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4, Osaka talked to the press and revealed she may be taking a break from the sport that made her millions and a worldwide celebrity. The tennis phenom admitted that tennis no longer brought her joy.
“I feel like for me recently, like, when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think that’s normal,” Osaka stated before she started shedding tears.
Respectful of the situation and her previous feelings about the press following matches, the moderator tried to end the interview but Osaka wanted to continue.
“Basically, I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match. I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while,” Osaka added as the interview abruptly ended.
The four-time Grand Slam winner withdrew from the French Open in May and announced before the tournament that she wouldn’t be participating in news conferences, citing her mental health. She previously revealed in a post on social media that she had experienced “long bouts of depression” following her breakthrough US Open win in 2018.
Hopefully, Osaka bounces back soon. Take a look at the interview below.
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