Osaka sees no more Slam pullouts like French Open

Defending US Open champion Naomi Osaka says there would be no future abrupt withdrawals from the French Open, adding she would have handled the controversy differently if given the chance.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka, seeking a third New York title, dropped out at Roland Garros after skipping post-match interviews with reporters, saying it caused her mental health distress.

When she was fined and warned future similar violations could bring greater punishments, Osaka withdrew from the tournament and skipped Wimbledon as well, raising global awareness of the mental challenges facing world-class athletes.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the 23-year-old Japanese star said she would do things differently if put in the same situation again.

“I feel like there’s a lot of things I did wrong in that moment,” she said.

“But I’m also the type of person that’s very in the moment, like whatever I feel I’ll say it or do it. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.

“I think there’s a lot of things I learned to do better. Of course, I don’t feel the same situation will happen again. I’d say maybe think it through a bit more in the way that I didn’t know how big a deal it would become.”

Osaka, seeded third in the final Grand Slam event of the year that begins Monday, said she was happier to have people asking questions rather than getting them over audio and video monitors.

“Definitely it feels better to see the person.

“It’s really off-putting just to be seated in front of a screen. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I feel, like, a lot of nerves. But it feels much better to be talking to a human.”

Osaka, who lit the cauldron in the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics, has played only once since then, losing in her second match last week at Cincinnati.

“I know I haven’t played that many matches. I know that I haven’t even gotten to a quarterfinal.

“Actually I feel pretty happy with how I’m playing. I feel pretty confident with where I am right now. I’m not declaring that I’ll do amazing here. I’m the one-match-at-a-time person. Hopefully it will work out in the end.”

Osaka says she has had to adjust to feeling people look differently at her when they watch her play, a factor that could be a factor with full capacity crowds being allowed at the US Open after spectators were banned last year due to Covid-19.

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