Naomi Osaka Issues Apology For 'Sore Loser' Behavior

Naomi Osaka Issues Apology For ‘Sore Loser’ Behavior originally appeared on The Spun.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka lost a lot of fan support Thursday night for how she behaved during the National Bank Open final.

After Osaka won the opening set over 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, she completely fell apart. Things got so rough that she clearly gave up on rallies during the third set. Although she was ready to leave Montreal as soon as possible, she was supposed to deliver a public speech. She ultimately chose to make it as short as possible.

“I don’t really wanna take up too much time. I’ll just say thank you to everyone,” Osaka said. “Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers and volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.”

Fans ripped Osaka for snubbing Mboko during her speech. They accused her of being a “sore loser” incapable of congratulating her opponent.

“I have no time for Naomi Osaka acting like this,” one fan wrote on X. “Pull yourself together, congratulate that girl, retire, and spend time with your daughter. Enough.”

“The whole world watched you Naomi Osaka. Your poor sportsmanship in loss. Your tears. A 4 time major winner who cannot lose with grace. Please retire. Nobody likes you now. Nobody will cheer for you after this,” another fan commented.

Aug 7, 2025; Montreal, QC, Canada; Naomi Osaka (JPN) reacts after winning a play against Victoria Mboko (CAN) during singles final play at IGA Stadium.David Kirouac-Imagn Images&period;

On Friday night, Osaka issued a public apology to Mboko. She also thanked Montreal for hosting such a great tournament.

“Thanks Montreal it’s been a really great run. I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realize I didn’t congratulate you on the court,” Osaka said. “Honestly I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY.”

Osaka made the right call going public with her apology. If she wants fans to continue supporting her, she has to be honest with them through the highs and lows.

Next up for Osaka is the US Open. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll break through and make another final.

Naomi Osaka Issues Apology For ‘Sore Loser’ Behavior first appeared on The Spun on Aug 9, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.