Naomi Osaka in tears before bombshell admission after US Open loss
Naomi Osaka has broken down in a press conference after announcing she will take a long break from tennis after her stunning loss at the US Open.
The tennis world watched on in disbelief after Osaka tossed her racquet, hit a ball into the crowd and was then booed in Arthur Ashe Stadium before losing to Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
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At 5-6 and 0-30 down in the third, Osaka took some time at the back of the court to regain some composure as Fernandez was serving for the match.
However, many in Arthur Ashe Stadium took exception to her tactic and proceeded to shower Osaka with boos.
"Wow. The crowd is booing that Osaka took that much time," the commentator said in surprise.
Moments later, Fernandez closed out the match to a huge cheer.
Fans watching around the world were left in disbelief that the notoriously fickle US Open crowd had booed Osaka during the match.
Spectators were not only shocked by the crowd turning on the four-time Grand Slam champion towards the end, but also Osaka's racquet smashing during the match.
Naomi Osaka breaks down in press conference
However, moments after her loss, Osaka fronted the media in a press conference that was hard to watch.
In heartbreaking scenes, the World No.3 fought back tears as she announced a break from tennis.
"Recently, when I win I don't feel happy. I feel more like a relief," she said.
"When I lose, I feel very sad and I don't think that's normal. I didn't really want to cry but basically I feel..."
The moderator called for the press conference to be over, before Osaka intervened and said she wanted to finish.
"Basically I feel like I'm kind of at this point where I'm trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match," she said.
"I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while.”
Naomi Osaka in tears says she’s going to “take a break for a while” from tennis. #USOpen @naomiosaka, we luv u! ❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/NY4uLCPvRq
— Madam Vice President Harris is GOAT! (@flywithkamala) September 4, 2021
Naomi Osaka said she is going to take a break from playing tennis "for a while." pic.twitter.com/xNAO4ZBJyU
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) September 4, 2021
The moderator tried to say the press conference was over twice, but Osaka cut him off and said she wanted to get through what she had to say. She’d talked about it with her team in the hallway already, wasn’t going to change her mind. She said winning brings only relief, not joy.
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) September 4, 2021
Through tears, Naomi Osaka announces a break from tennis, isn’t sure when she’ll play next. #usopen
— David Kane (@DKTNNS) September 4, 2021
Osaka took a break for mental health reasons when she withdrew from Roland Garros earlier this year.
Osaka has been beset with challenges in 2021 after announcing a media blackout and pulling out of the French Open grand slam to work on her mental health.
She also skipped Wimbledon before returning for a crack at her home Olympic Games in Tokyo, where the 23-year-old suffered a shock early exit.
After her latest defeat at the US Open, fans are questioning when is the next time the tennis world will see the four-time Grand Slam champion on the court.
Readers seeking support and information about mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
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