Osaka's honesty cuts through as comeback stalls at Wimbledon
"I'm just going to be a negative human being today. I'm so sorry," she told reporters, more weary than bitter, after her 3-6 6-4 6-4 third-round loss. "I have nothing positive to say about myself. Honestly, right now I'm just really upset."
It was an unflinching performance in the press room, mirroring the one she had just delivered on Court Two. Osaka had started brightly, striking the ball with the same authority that once made her the sport's most fearsome hard-court hitter. But as the match wore on, the rhythm faded, the first serve faltered, and Pavlyuchenkova's relentless pressure told.
"I low-key busted a vein in my hand," Osaka said with a wry smile, a throwaway remark that carried the weight of someone giving everything — physically and emotionally — to a cause that still refuses to cooperate.
This wasn't Osaka being outclassed, it was a tight contest she believed she could win. "I actually thought I could play well. Not saying I didn't play well, but... make a deep run here," she said, her voice trailing into frustration. "Clearly, I need to work on a couple of things."
Since returning to the tour after maternity leave, Osaka has shown glimpses of the player who once conquered Melbourne and New York. But her comeback remains frustratingly incomplete — flashes of brilliance surrounded by periods of struggle.
Asked about her goals, she was disarmingly open: "I feel like while I still have the opportunity to try to do it, I want to. Even though I get very upset when I lose... but I think that's my competitive nature. That's also the younger sister syndrome."
On her daughter's birthday week, Osaka wanted to give herself — and her supporters — something to celebrate. Instead, she walked off court feeling once again the familiar ache of what could have been.
"No person wants to feel this way, like, multiple times throughout the year, but tennis players are crazy, so..." she smiled sadly.
"I'm glad to be done with this, and I'm looking forward to the hard courts."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Fresh Fritz finds Wimbledon grind the perfect medicine for ailing body
LONDON :More than nine hours on court across 14 gruelling sets has proved just the tonic for Taylor Fritz's creaky joints, with the world number five declaring himself fresher than ever after reaching Wimbledon's fourth round on Friday. The American was taken the distance in his opening two matches before defeating Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 on Centre Court, extending his stay at the All England Club. Having begun the tournament nursing tendinitis in his knee along with other fitness concerns, the 27-year-old Fritz may have wanted to sail serenely through the opening rounds in the shortest time possible. Yet it turns out that being put through the Grand Slam grinder has worked wonders for his body. "Yeah, the body. I mean, I think it was weird. The first day of my first match my knee was kind of bugging me," Fritz explained. "I've had tendinitis I've been dealing with. It's kind of flared up the whole grasscourt season, I think just because you're taking a lot of extra stutter steps and stuff. It's a little tougher on it. I was feeling that a bit. It's actually now gotten better. Is completely gone." One battle scar refusing to heal, however, is a bloody scrape on Fritz's elbow that he twice re-opened against Davidovich Fokina - a war wound picked up diving for the ball against Gabriel Diallo in the previous round. That did not stop him throwing himself around court on Friday, however, even if the trainer had to be called on twice to patch him up. "It's getting pretty annoying having to stop all the time," he said. "I feel bad for my opponent when I keep having to stop all the time, but you can only really do it on grass. I'm just really determined to get some of these balls, and eventually I'm going to win one of these points."
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Fresh Fritz finds Wimbledon grind the perfect medicine for ailing body
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Jul 4, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Taylor Fritz of the United States tosses the ball to serve during his match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain on day five at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images LONDON - More than nine hours on court across 14 gruelling sets has proved just the tonic for Taylor Fritz's creaky joints, with the world number five declaring himself fresher than ever after reaching Wimbledon's fourth round on Friday. The American was taken the distance in his opening two matches before defeating Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 on Centre Court, extending his stay at the All England Club. Having begun the tournament nursing tendinitis in his knee along with other fitness concerns, the 27-year-old Fritz may have wanted to sail serenely through the opening rounds in the shortest time possible. Yet it turns out that being put through the Grand Slam grinder has worked wonders for his body. "Yeah, the body. I mean, I think it was weird. The first day of my first match my knee was kind of bugging me," Fritz explained. "I've had tendinitis I've been dealing with. It's kind of flared up the whole grasscourt season, I think just because you're taking a lot of extra stutter steps and stuff. It's a little tougher on it. I was feeling that a bit. It's actually now gotten better. Is completely gone." One battle scar refusing to heal, however, is a bloody scrape on Fritz's elbow that he twice re-opened against Davidovich Fokina -- a war wound picked up diving for the ball against Gabriel Diallo in the previous round. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PAP has begun search for new candidates; PM Wong hopes to deploy them earlier ahead of next GE Singapore 20 retired MPs spoke up on many issues in Parliament, helped successors prepare for new role: PM Wong Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and processes following $3b money laundering case Asia JB petrol station shooting: Dead man with bullet wounds dumped at hospital Singapore Trilateral work group formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work Singapore Power distribution system in renewal project may be linked to Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: SMRT Singapore Rise in number of scam e-mails claiming to be from Cardinal William Goh: Catholic Church That did not stop him throwing himself around court on Friday, however, even if the trainer had to be called on twice to patch him up. "It's getting pretty annoying having to stop all the time," he said. "I feel bad for my opponent when I keep having to stop all the time, but you can only really do it on grass. I'm just really determined to get some of these balls, and eventually I'm going to win one of these points." Despite Friday's four-set victory being "much more physical than my other two matches" with "a lot more side-to-side running in the heat," Fritz declared: "Overall I'm feeling good." REUTERS
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
From vertigo to victory, Chile's Jarry reaches Wimbledon last 16
LONDON :Nicolas Jarry has been to hell and back in the last year but on Friday on a sun-kissed court in south-west London the towering Chilean put the dark days behind him to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. Those with tickets for what was billed as a South American showdown on Court Two had expected to see Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca underline why he is tipped as the next big thing. The 18-year-old showed flashes of the shot-making that will surely make him a contender for Grand Slam titles but it was the 29-year-old Jarry who produced a display of skill and guts to win a slow-burner 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6(4). Fonseca could be excused for thinking Jarry was serving down from an Andean peak in the opening two sets as he seemed powerless to make any impact on a weapon that produced 25 aces. But as the seats that were empty early on began to fill with chanting fans the atmosphere suddenly became more Copacabana than leafy west London, and Rio-born Fonseca came to the party. Fonseca took the third set and as the crowd greeted his winners with a chorus of ' it seemed the match was swinging his way. Jarry had to save three break points at 3-3 in the fourth set and was staring down the barrel two games later at 0-40 as Fonseca, who twice needed treatment during the contest, whipped up the crowd with some stunning passes. Undaunted, Jarry served his way out of a hole and then reeled off five points in a row from a 2-4 deficit in the tiebreak to claim victory and match his grandfather Jaime Fillol who reached the last 16 at Wimbledon in 1974. Jarry was overcome with emotion, hugged his wife and then brought his young son on court before opening his heart about what he has had to overcome in the past 12 months. Those not in the know would have been surprised to hear the former top-20 player describe how a year ago he was diagnosed with vestibular neuritis - a condition which causes inflammation of the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain and causes vertigo, dizziness and imbalance. "I had the issue which affected my perception, my balance and I've been trying to come back and recover," an emotional Jarry said. "It's been physically, emotionally and psychologically very tough." Such was the impact of the condition that after reaching the Rome final last year, his form fell off a cliff, the wins dried up, and his ranking plummeted outside the top 100. He had to qualify for Wimbledon this year, winning three matches, but now he is looking forward to the prospect of a clash with Britain's Cameron Norrie on Sunday.
