A disheartened Naomi Osaka exited the French Open today, falling to Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa in a tough three-set match (6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4).
The four-time Grand Slam champion expressed her disappointment, admitting she “hates disappointing people” after her early exit.
Osaka took the first set, but Badosa rallied, fueled by inspiration from Rafael Nadal’s dedication on court. Badosa surged back, taking the second set convincingly before securing the decisive break in the third.
“It was a tough match,” Osaka stated, adding, “I feel like I should be doing better.”
The 27-year-old, working with Patrick Mouratoglou, recently won a clay title and is back in the top 50 after returning from maternity leave in 2023.
Despite her efforts, she struggled to find consistency against Badosa, whose injury issues had limited her clay preparation.
Osaka, who took a medical timeout for a recurring blister issue, reflected on her performance with a touch of self-deprecating humor, noting Mouratoglou’s transition from coaching “the greatest player ever” to “this?”
