Naomi Osaka may have marked her return to the US Open with a straight-sets win, but the four-time Grand Slam champion was her harshest critic after confessing she struggled with stress and her mindset on court.
The 26-year-old overcame Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4 under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night.
While flashes of her trademark power thrilled the New York crowd, Osaka later admitted she was far from happy with her overall performance.
“My least favorite part was honestly my attitude,” she said in her post-match press conference.
Naomi Osaka may have marked her return to the US Open with a straight-sets win, but the four-time Grand Slam champion was her harshest critic after confessing she struggled with stress and her mindset on court
|REUTERS
“I was just very stressed. It was the first round, and this tournament means a lot to me.
"I really wanted to win, but I wish I thought more about the process rather than the result. But I’m glad I was able to win.”
Osaka, who entered the tournament after reaching the final of the Canadian Open earlier this month, arrived in New York tipped as one of the favourites.
Yet despite her recent form, the Japanese star admitted nerves got the better of her in key moments.
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Still, there were lighter highlights that Osaka enjoyed, particularly one moment that had the Arthur Ashe crowd smiling.
“My favourite part… I was not expecting everyone to like Billie Jean Bling. So I’m glad she made people smile today,” she said with a grin, referring to a charm that hung from her bag.
Osaka also took to the court in a crystal-studded Nike dress and a striking rose-styled ponytail, a look that sparked plenty of conversation.
She later revealed the outfit had been in development for some time.
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“I designed this outfit a while ago,” Osaka explained.
“We actually tried it on last year. It was really elaborate because the crystals are hard to do on a performance outfit.
"I just thought it would be really fun to do in New York under the lights. I’m glad my first match was a night match because this was my night outfit.
"Hopefully I’ll wear my day outfit next time.”
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Greet Minnen put up a strong fight during her US Open defeat to Naomi Osaka
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Her elaborate hairstyle, meanwhile, was a collaboration with stylist Marty.
“I sent him inspo maybe a week or two ago — a big ponytail with roses in it. I asked, ‘You think this is possible?’ We tossed ideas around, and the outcome was way better than I could have imagined,” she said.
Despite the praise, Osaka admitted it wasn’t practical to compete with.
“It was really heavy. I’ve played in braids before and even that was borderline. I just did it for the presentation," she added.
The former world No 1 has also been in the spotlight recently with the release of a documentary charting her life.
Opening up about the project, she admitted it was a difficult but rewarding experience.
Naomi Osaka has won the US Open twice throughout her career
|REUTERS
“Obviously I try to be a very private person,” she said.
“But with the director, Cat, she kind of became a very close friend with how much time we spent together. I stopped seeing her as the person filming and more like someone on the road with me. It is scary to let people see moments of your life, but overall I wanted moms to come away from the film — or anyone in general — just feeling more positive about themselves.”