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CHINA OPEN

October 2, 2018

Naomi Osaka

Beijing, China

N. OSAKA/D. Collins

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Yesterday you talked about how one of your big motivations is getting to Singapore. Now you've been confirmed. How does that feel?
NAOMI OSAKA: Uhm, yeah, it feels really good. I'm not sure if I was supposed to know, because apparently my team was keeping it a secret. But, I mean, that secret's out (smiling).

So, yeah, I mean, I'm really happy, but also I'm just trying to do as well as I can here, so...

Q. Why were they keeping it a secret?
NAOMI OSAKA: I think they wanted me to be motivated by it. Before someone told me I had to get to the semis here. Then I think they thought I would have felt relieved, then maybe I wouldn't have been, like, as not motivated but as, like, straightforward mentality.

Q. Since you are now in China, we want to talk about translation in Chinese. Many people are discussing your name. They have two ways to translate your name. Literal or how it sounds (speaking in Chinese). Which one do you prefer?
NAOMI OSAKA: Okay, wait. What are the options again?

Q. The one pronounced like Naomi, and the other one is from what your name means, that is (speaking in Chinese).
NAOMI OSAKA: That's kind of cool.

Q. Which one do you think is perfect?
NAOMI OSAKA: Wait. What does my name mean?

Q. It means 'beautiful'.
NAOMI OSAKA: Ooh.

Q. What has changed in your life since you became a Grand Slam champion?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, for me, I literally got thrown into the Asian swing, so I don't really think too much outside. Right now for me, I don't feel like much has changed. I think maybe more people know me now, but that's about it.

Q. In your match today we saw you struggle to find your footing in the first game, then go on to win the next 12. What clicked?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think for me today I just started off really slow, if we can count the first game as slow. Yeah, I don't know, I felt like losing the first game gave me extra motivation. Then I just carried it on throughout the whole entire match.

Q. You play Julia Goerges next. Talk about that matchup, what you expect there?
NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, I played her before twice. I know that she's a great player. I know that every time we played, it was really hard. Other than that, I know that she's, like, a sweetheart. She's super nice.

Yeah, I'm just expecting a really tough battle. I know that both of us want to win.

Q. What were the highlights for you from the Rising Stars event in Singapore? What do you remember about being there in the city? What are you looking forward to besides the actual tournament?
NAOMI OSAKA: To be honest, I don't really remember too much from it. I remember everyone ate dinner in this, like, tree. It looks like the after tar at night.

Then, to be honest, I just remember Ons. She was just talking to me non-stop. I'm really grateful for her because, like, the amount of shyness that I am right now, back then it was way worse.

So, yeah, I mean, even now to this day, she still does some weird stuff around me. For me, Singapore is Ons.

Q. You're on the front cover of Australian Tennis Magazine this month with the tagline 'queen of cool'. Do you feel like the queen of cool?
NAOMI OSAKA: Oh, I didn't know that. I guess, uhm, I think actually I'm very emotional. So the fact that people tell me that they can't read my emotions too much, I think it's been something I've been working on for years now. Just the fact that it's finally paying off, I think it's exciting.

But I don't like the word 'cool' because then I feel like when someone meets me, they'll be disappointed or something. So, uhm, they can use 'expressionless' or something (smiling).

Q. You mentioned that Julia is a 'sweetheart'. Do you interact with her at all? How do you get that sense?
NAOMI OSAKA: Because she's German, it was like Sascha talks to her. Then she started talking to me. Her physio and coach, they talk to me, too. Yeah, like, after I won the US Open and stuff, she came up to me here and she was, like, staying congrats, but it was like from the heart. So, yeah, I just think she's really nice.

But we must play our match (smiling).

Q. Now you are almost 22 years old. That means you have to choose a nationality according to the Japanese law. You have to choose either you're Japanese or American. Have you decided yet?
NAOMI OSAKA: I'm 20.

Q. Almost 22.
NAOMI OSAKA: No.

Q. Still two years long, but you have to decide at that time.
NAOMI OSAKA: I thought you said I'm turning 22 this year.

What was the question?

Q. Which nationality will you choose?
NAOMI OSAKA: I don't really understand why people keep asking me this. I'm pretty sure it's obvious. I'm playing for Japan. Not to be disrespectful or anything, but I don't really get where the conclusion that it's a hard choice for me or anything comes from.

Q. I notice every time you come onto the court you have headphones on. Could you share what your warmup music is?
NAOMI OSAKA: Like warmup music or match music?

Q. Match music, whatever you're listening to.
NAOMI OSAKA: Now since I lost in the finals of Toray, I switched. I list to Carter V, because it just dropped. I'm sorry.

Q. There's a debate among the Chinese media about your name.
NAOMI OSAKA: Isn't it better to make it a debate?

Q. Which one do you prefer, phonetic one or direct translation?
NAOMI OSAKA: My thing is, I like the translation one. But I don't know, what if someone calls me by my name but I don't know if they're calling me?

Q. But which one do you prefer?
NAOMI OSAKA: Chinese name.

Q. Phonetic one or the direct translation?
NAOMI OSAKA: The one that he said is beautiful.

Q. You prefer (speaking in Chinese).
NAOMI OSAKA: Oh, my God, this is so complicated.

Okay, I can be the Chinese one.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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