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Naomi Osaka has made a habit of making headlines with her media center comments at various Grand Slam stages over the years, and this year’s French Open was no different.
The four-time Grand Slam winner lost in straight sets to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (5-7, 3-6) in the fourth round of the French Open, which became a familiar situation for Osaka during her career. The 28-year-old holds a 1-3 record against the Belarusian all-time, with all three of her losses coming in 2026.
Answering media questions after her fourth-round elimination in France, Osaka was asked if she could take any encouragement from the defeat or if she feels intimidated by the challenge of closing the gap between her and Sabalenka.
Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka during day nine of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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The question was a bit strange, as the idea of being encouraged after a third straight loss to the same opponent would be unique, but the question wasn’t as strange as the answer Osaka gave.
“I don’t know if you knew me before, but I would be very, very disappointed in myself after matches like these. But I kind of realized that it didn’t matter at all,” Osaka began.
“I’ve faced her many times and, unfortunately, I lost several times. The only thing I can continue to do is try my best. Maybe, I hope, it will work in my favor one day. But I can’t let myself get discouraged every time I lose to someone or win against someone. Because honestly, hitting a ball doesn’t really matter, on Earth, so to speak.”
There is nothing less inspiring than that.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against Naomi Osaka of Japan during day nine of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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For a four-time Grand Slam winner and former world number one herself, Osaka admitting out loud that “hitting a ball doesn’t really matter” is shocking.
Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka during day nine of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Imagine the level of criticism an NBA superstar would receive if he said that “shooting a basketball doesn’t really matter” after a loss, or an NFL quarterback suggesting that “shooting a football doesn’t really matter” after a crushing loss.
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Osaka, however, is continually given the benefit of the doubt by many in the tennis world despite her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open, as the media pressures were apparently too much for her to handle. She also cried in the media room at Roland Garros a year ago after her first-round elimination.
