Update (July 27, 2021): Tennis champion Naomi Osaka was will no longer be competing in the Olympics after losing in the third round on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old lost 6-1, 6-4 to former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.
"I'm disappointed in every loss, but I feel like this one sucks more than the others,'' Osaka said according to ESPN. “I definitely feel like there was a lot of pressure for this. I think it's maybe because I haven't played in the Olympics before and for the first year [it] was a bit much.''
Vondrousova, who is ranked 42nd in the world, also commented on Osaka’s loss and the unimaginable pressure she was up against.
"It's tough for her also playing in Japan and in the Olympics,'' Vondrousova said. "It's so much pressure, I cannot imagine.''
Just days ago at Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremony, Osaka served as the Olympic torchbearer, something she called the “greatest athletic achievement and honor.”
"When I lit the flame, I was super honored," she told ESPN. "I think that's a position that you dream about and not anyone can do it. So, for me, when they asked me if I wanted to, I was very surprised but very honored. And I'm just very happy to be here and very happy to play — especially in Tokyo."
Prior to the Summer Games, Osaka took a two-month hiatus from tennis after she withdrew from both the French Open and Wimbledon in an effort to preserve her mental health.
"I've taken long breaks before and I've managed to do well," Osaka said. "I'm not saying that I did bad right now, but I do know that my expectations were a lot higher. “I feel like my attitude wasn't that great because I don't really know how to cope with that pressure, so that's the best that I could have done in this situation.''
Original (July 25, 2021): Naomi Osaka is back!
The 23-year-old tennis superstar secured a 6-1, 6-4 victory over 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China on Sunday at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, while sporting long red and white box braids. The colors matched those of the Japanese flag, the country where Osaka was born and the one she’s currently representing in the Olympic games reports HuffPost.
This was her first match in nearly two months since she withdrew from the French Open in May to focus on her mental health.
This was also the first game where Osaka spoke to the press since being fined for opting out of the news conferences for the French Open as Blavity previously reported. The athlete faced both criticism and support for her decision to prioritize her mental health by shunning the press and withdrawing from a few high profile matches.
The break seems to have done the trick, as she seemed in good spirits after her win on Sunday.
“More than anything else I’m just focused on playing tennis,” Osaka told reporters afterward, per the Associated Press. “The Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a kid so I feel like the break that I took was very needed. I feel definitely a little bit refreshed and I’m happy again.”
Earlier in the week, it was Osaka who was chosen to hold the Olympic torch and lite the Olympic Cauldron at the games’ opening ceremony, an honor she spoke about both on social media and to the press.
"When I lit the flame, I was super honored," she told ESPN. "I think that's a position that you dream about and not anyone can do it. So, for me, when they asked me if I wanted to, I was very surprised but very honored. And I'm just very happy to be here and very happy to play — especially in Tokyo."
The controversy surrounding the young woman’s refusal to speak with reporters during the French Open, has started a much needed conversation around sports and mental health.
