Naomi Osaka suffers first round defeat to Angelique Kerber at Paris Olympics

PARIS — PARIS (AP) — Naomi Osaka grinned as she chatted with journalists after a 7-5, 6-3 first-round defeat to Angelique Kerber at the Paris Olympics on Saturday night, disheartened by the outcome but optimistic she will one day regain her status as the formerly dominant player who captured four Grand Slam titles and attained the top spot in the rankings.

“I suppose I need to rediscover how to triumph. Perhaps that’s something I neglected to do,” Osaka expressed. “Possibly I must engage in matches against highly skilled competitors to reacquire that skill.”

She had anticipated a superior performance compared to her appearance at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago in her native Japan. She was anticipated to be one of the standout figures and was bestowed the privilege of illuminating the cauldron at the opening ceremony.

However, Osaka was defeated in the third round there and admitted to feeling a sense of duty to perform well in front of her home supporters. She was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, and the family relocated to the United States when Osaka was 3.

“I sensed more stress in Tokyo,” the 26-year-old Osaka remarked. “Honestly, I believe I could have performed better today.”

She twisted her left leg awkwardly at 4-3 in the second set and mentioned she was given medication to assist. However, Osaka did not secure another game against Kerber.

When asked about the status of her leg afterward, Osaka stated: “I’m uncertain, as I took a pain reliever, so I’ll inform you once it wears off. It felt like I overstretched (it) a bit. I sensed a twinge while I was playing, but I trust I’m still relatively young, so perhaps it won’t be that severe.”

Kerber, a silver medalist in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, has announced she will retire after representing Germany at these Summer Games.

“To secure a victory like this against Naomi, who is such a remarkable champion — that signifies a great deal, particularly since it’s my final competition. It demonstrates to me that I can still triumph over the top competitors,” Kerber remarked. “I simply endeavored to savor each moment. I’m eagerly anticipating another encounter.”

Osaka ascended to the summit of tennis several years ago, clinching two championships each at the U.S. Open and Australian Open from 2018 to 2021 and becoming the highest-paid female athlete in any sport.

It was at the 2021 French Open — contested at the same location as the Paris Olympics tennis competition — that Osaka initially disclosed she had been grappling with anxiety and depression, and embarked on a series of mental health respites. She was among the first prominent athletes to publicly address those subjects and, alongside other Olympians Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, helped bring them into the national discourse.

Osaka subsequently departed from the tour while expecting a child; her daughter was delivered in July 2023. She made a return to Grand Slam competition at the Australian Open this January and seemed to have regained her top form during the French Open a few months later, where she extended eventual champion Iga Swiatek to three sets and held a match point.

Clay, however, has never been Osaka’s top surface, primarily because it diminishes the impact of her best shots — her serve and forehand.

“I believe my serve could have been substantially better. I sensed the same way during practice,” Osaka remarked. “Yet, I believe that should never serve as an excuse for defeat.”

Against Kerber, Osaka’s shots were not on target. She concluded with 30 unforced errors, almost three times as many as Kerber’s 11. Additionally, Osaka only managed to break Kerber once while surrendering four of her own service games.

The 36-year-old Kerber is not particularly fond of clay, either: It’s the sole major tournament she failed to win.

Kerber triumphed at the Australian Open and U.S. Open in 2016, and Wimbledon in 2018, overcoming Serena Williams in two of those finals. Kerber has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in Paris.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games