AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2022

Naomi Osaka

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/N. Osaka

4-6, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Tough match today. Just talk us through your immediate thoughts on the match, please.

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I thought she played really well. For me, I thought it was a pretty high-level match. I think the pace of her ball surprised me, but other than that, it was fun to play.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Tough luck tonight. She obviously played brilliantly, as you said. What's her ball like to receive? To us, it looks like such a smooth, clean hit. What's it like for you to play against?

NAOMI OSAKA: I would say, like, it's not strong but it just comes fast. Like, I wouldn't say it's heavy, but it comes so quickly at me that I felt I didn't really have time to set up and stuff.

It just is really low to the ground.

Q. You haven't played that many matches in the last few months. Do you think that had any effect out there?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, for me it didn't. Wim said it probably did, because I didn't play a person that served and returned like really well.

So he said if I played people that returned as well as she did before maybe I would have been more prepared, but those are the choices that I made. You know what I mean?

So I have, I don't know, I have nothing really to like blame. I wouldn't really say it's blaming, but I know that inside I tried the best that I could.

Q. You have come into the year with a new resolution to have fun and enjoy the sport more. Is there things you can take out of tonight which contribute to that process of trying to make it more fun for yourself?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, definitely. I think, you know, I fought for every point. I can't be sad about that. You know, like I'm not God. I can't win every match, you know. So I just have to, like, take that into account and know that it would be nice to win the tournament, but that's, like, really special, you know, and I can't, like, think of myself to try to win the Grand Slam at the start of the year every time.

For me, I feel like I grew a lot in this match. The last match that I played in New York I think I had a completely different attitude, so I'm really happy with -- you know, of course I lost, but I'm happy with how it went.

Q. One thing you were talking about last year is how you react to losses and how they feel for you. Wondering if you did anything before starting this season to sort of prepare for what losing could feel like or just prepare for these feelings. You seem to be handling it pretty well now. I wonder, not that people prepare to lose necessarily, but if you thought about what that would mean for you if and when it happens?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, for me, I just kind of go back to the basics, like, I'm at this point where I think everyone that plays me is prepared for that, you know. And like Wim shows me videos, but they always play better when they play against me. I take that into account.

I also know that there are days that I'm going to have bad days, and there are days that I'm going to have great days. It's always random, and I never know, but no matter what happens for me, I just want to leave the court knowing that I fought for every point.

Today, of course there were things I felt I could improve on, but even with that, I had two match points, and I think that's something that I can, you know, be proud of myself for.

Q. You mentioned the other day as well that people play differently against you than other people. Is that flattering, frustrating? Serena has also talked about that.

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I don't know if it's flattering, but I think they just have to, you know what I mean? It's more of like a survival thing. And I also, I don't know, I also feel that way when I play against like Kvitova or something, I feel like I have to make the serve or else she's going to do something. I also felt that way when I played against Amanda just now, which is really awesome because she's so young. I'm excited to see where her game takes her.

But yeah, I think that's the part of tennis that makes it really exciting.

Q. Have you thought about what schedule you want to do this season? Play more or less tournaments? Do you have a sense of playing anything before Indian Wells, let's say?

NAOMI OSAKA: Honestly, I'm not so sure right now. Like, I'm kind of just settling in what just happened. But yeah, I guess I'll just think about it a lot and try to understand my body more, because I feel when I suddenly play a lot of matches I kind of get a little, like, niggle here and there, which I'd love to prevent. I'm not sure if it's something I have to do more during practice and training or if I just have to play more matches.

Q. You have spoken a lot about your learning experience. You referenced the US Open a few minutes ago. What do you think you have learned about yourself and what's best for you in the last several months?

NAOMI OSAKA: I'm not really sure, to be honest. I think what's best for me, you know, I've been kind of meditating-ish. I wouldn't want to say it's the full meditative state. I've been writing in a journal, trying to figure out what my goals are and what I want to accomplish in this career, because, you know, I'm here right now at the Australian Open, but you never know when it's going to be your last one.

Playing in Rod Laver every time is something that I don't want to take for granted. Playing in the big stadiums is really special. I just feel like I have to shift my mentality more, and of course be more grateful for the things that I have accomplished and the things that I want to accomplish.

Q. Just touching on that, when you compare how you felt after your US Open loss to today, how much can you see your mindset has changed? Are you proud of yourself managing to do that, especially in such a short amount of time?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I would definitely say I'm proud of myself for this. Though to me it didn't feel like a short amount of time. It felt like, you know, ages ago.

But yeah, I think this for me is the biggest step, even though I lost. I think I was really focused throughout the entire match, and I didn't have a dip. So that's really good, you know.

But, yeah, hopefully as the season continues, I'll be able to keep this up, and get even better at it.

Q. You mentioned in the past that sometimes when you lose that it's a big, ol' thing, it's a headline, all this sort of stuff, and that could get into your head. Do you feel a little bit like this one and your performance in Australia on a whole was just about tennis, that there isn't really a narrative to it? That, yeah, it was a tennis match and simple as that?

NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, to me, it's always a tennis match, you know what I mean? I feel like the outside stuff comes after. But it's funny, like, the first thing that I'll probably do when I look at my phone is delete Instagram and Twitter, and then I probably won't redownload it for a couple of weeks.

I don't know. To me, it's exciting. Not the loss itself, but, like, the person I lost to, because it's like showing the growth of tennis. I feel like now I'm in this position where if I lose to someone, it might make a headline, but I also think it kind of grows more superstars, and I feel like that's good for the game.

So it's kind of like everything is coming in full circle.

(Naomi's answers to questions in Japanese.)

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, for me, I just want to go into this year, like, knowing that I'll play the whole year and I'll just have, like, the greatest attitude ever. You know, like I'll fight for every point. Even if I win or lose, I'll just go off the court knowing that I tried the hardest that I could, and there is no way that anyone can expect anything more from me, because they saw, like, how hard I fought.

So of course that's the goal, and I think if I keep that mentality, I'll be able to win more matches, of course. There is going to be moments like this where I'm disappointed, but I feel like the losses is what I learn the most from.

Yeah, I thought her return was definitely really amazing. I almost felt like I was fighting for my life out there in some games. I honestly also thought that I won certain games just based on sheer willpower.

Yeah, it's kind of interesting when you're playing against someone, you feel like you want to learn from them, as well. Because I also feel like I want to return the way that she returns. So I'm definitely going to go to the practice court and try to practice my returns -- maybe not tomorrow but whenever. Yeah, it was an exciting match for me. I hope everyone else that was watching it was thrilled.

Yeah. I thought definitely in the rallies she was dictating a bit more, which was kind of a new feeling for me. Granted, I've never played her before, so I didn't know the pace of her ball, but it was definitely a bit jarring to be on my back foot in most of the rallies, and I felt like it was a bit like table-tennis tennis, where it was just like really fast and then suddenly she would hit a shorter ball and I would be like so far behind I couldn't really come in, like I was comfortable enough to.

But, yeah, you know, I think I learned a lot from today. Even just being able to recount it right now I think is going to be really positive going into whatever tournament I play next.

I'm not really sure, but I also know that I'm not quite worried about my ranking. I think that it will go up to where it needs to go up to if I keep playing like this throughout the year. And honestly, like, if I'm not ranked at slams, I think the other people that I'm playing against would be more worried about it than I am. You know what I mean? So for me I'm just going to keep my head down and keep working hard. I think I'll get to where I need to get to.

Yeah, I think the meditation has definitely helped me out a lot. I think just going within myself and trying to figure out, you know, my goals and what I want to -- I guess, for me the most important thing is feeling like I accomplished something in the day, whether it be really small or really big. But also, your other question, I'm not sure if I'm going to have regrets about those two match points. Like, I thought she played really well. I also felt like I got really tight on one of them. So, you know, I think that also comes down to match play and being more comfortable in those tight situations.

But I can't really look in the past anymore, you know? Like I just have to focus on what I can do in the future to hopefully evade those situations.