Naomi Osaka overwhelmed and is out of Tokyo Olympics
It wasn’t the ending Naomi Osaka or her multitudes of followers throughout Japan and worldwide anticipated. However the Tokyo Olympics’ begin will ceaselessly be a vivid reminiscence for the tennis celebrity.
Osaka mentioned after lighting the Olympic cauldron throughout final week’s opening ceremony that it was “undoubtedly the best athletic achievement and honor I’ll ever have in my life.”
So possibly — simply possibly — that can allow Osaka to deal with her surprising 6-1, 6-4 loss to former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic within the third spherical of the Olympic tennis event on Tuesday.
Not instantly, although.
“I am disenchanted in each loss, however I really feel like this one s–ks greater than the others,” Osaka mentioned.
As a four-time Grand Slam champion, the highest-paid feminine athlete on the earth and the host nation’s poster lady for the Video games, the massive expectations have been arduous to deal with.
“I positively really feel like there was a variety of strain for this,” Osaka mentioned. “I believe it is possibly as a result of I have never performed within the Olympics earlier than and for the primary 12 months (it) was a bit a lot.”
Nonetheless, on the day earlier than her loss, Osaka tweeted she was “right here for an excellent time”:
The second-ranked Osaka, who was born in Japan and grew up in the US, struggled together with her often dependable groundstrokes whereas the left-handed Vondrousova produced a collection of drop-shot winners and different artful pictures that drew her opponent out of her consolation zone.
“It is robust for her additionally taking part in in Japan and within the Olympics,” the Forty second-ranked Vondrousova mentioned. “It is a lot strain, I can not think about.”
Osaka received her opening two matches in straight units following a two-month psychological well being break. However circumstances have been completely different Tuesday with the roof closed as a result of it was raining outdoors.
Osaka had talked earlier this week about how “pleased” she was to be taking part in once more. That got here after she introduced in Could going into the French Open that she would not converse to reporters at that event, saying these interactions create doubts for her.
Then, after her first-round victory in Paris, she skipped the necessary information convention.
Osaka was fined $15,000 and – surprisingly – publicly reprimanded by these in control of Grand Slam tournaments, who mentioned she may very well be suspended if she saved avoiding the media.
The subsequent day, Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros fully to take a psychological well being break, revealing she has handled despair and nervousness.
Osaka opened up about her psychological well being struggles and her choice to drop out of the French Open in an essay in Time journal, saying “it is O.Okay. to not be O.Okay.”
She sat out Wimbledon, too. So the Tokyo Video games marked her return to competitors.
“I’ve taken lengthy breaks earlier than and I’ve managed to do effectively,” mentioned Osaka, who initially did not remark after her loss, then got here again out and met with a small group of reporters. “I am not saying that I did dangerous proper now, however I do know that my expectations have been rather a lot increased.
“I really feel like my angle wasn’t that nice as a result of I do not actually know the way to deal with that strain, in order that’s the very best that I might have executed on this state of affairs.”
Japan reacts
Response in Japan started with “Masaka,” which implies “No method.”
And other people shortly turned to an outpouring of sympathy.
“Watching you gave me braveness. You do not have to win a medal. Watching you play is sufficient for all of your followers,” mentioned Yuji Taida, a novelist.
Japanese media relayed pressing reviews on her loss, with “masaka” within the headlines.
“Her mom’s motherland. Her dream to face on the pinnacle, with the rising solar on her coronary heart, was to not be,” reported Sports activities Hochi, a Japanese every day sports activities newspaper.
The inventory of Japanese tennis racket maker Yonex, one in every of her main company sponsors, plunged Tuesday as she misplaced, however recovered a lot of the bottom later.
For a lot of Japanese, the Japan-born Osaka, whose father is Haitian, has grown to personify a ray of hope for range in a nation lengthy linked with discrimination and intolerance for variations.
Some Japanese mentioned it broke their hearts to think about how a lot Osaka had needed to win the gold for her nation.
“She has her rules about her pleasure for Japan, and taking part in for Japan, whereas additionally being pleased with her various roots in having a Haitian father and dwelling within the U.S.,” mentioned lawyer Atusko Nishiyama, who was already beginning to fear Osaka would possibly get attacked for her loss.
Nishiyama mentioned she had been impressed by Osaka’s statements on Black Lives Matter, reminiscent of final 12 months when she wore masks bearing names of black individuals who had been killed.
“In comparison with her braveness, it’s so unhappy some individuals are nonetheless at a really low stage,” Nishiyama mentioned.
Whereas information reviews speculated whether or not it harm her to not play for 2 months and referred to how Osaka had talked about her bouts with despair after which sat out Wimbledon, Japan’s response was overwhelmingly one in every of doting love.
