Naomi Osaka delivered an impressive performance at the Canadian Open, reaching the final days after splitting with her coach, but her post-match speech has since overshadowed her on-court efforts.
Despite falling to 18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko 2–6, 6–4, 6–1, Osaka’s failure to acknowledge her opponent during the brief runner-up speech drew sharp criticism. Osaka followed the loss up by withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open ahead of the U.S. Open.
During the presentation in Montreal, Osaka’s remarks were notably short and impersonal. “I don’t really want to take up too much time, so I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, thank you to the ballkids, thank you to the organizers and all the volunteers, and I hope you guys all had a good night,” she said, avoiding any mention of Mboko.
The most stinging critiques came from a fellow former professionals. On ‘The Nothing Major Show,’ Sam Querrey didn’t hold back.
The former World No.11, who retired in 2022, said: “Can Osaka not just act like an adult for five minutes? Just give a nice speech, fake it for a minute and then move on to the locker room. It drives me nuts.”
He further reminded viewers of her substantial earnings, quipping: “She is also going to make $30 million, you can’t just shy away from that. Give a decent speech, congratulate your opponent.”
Steve Johnson echoed these thoughts, saying, “At least give an honest answer and thank your opponent. Do these things and move on. I know it’s hard to do but as an athlete that is your job.”
Following the backlash, Osaka addressed the situation publicly the next day. On Threads, she wrote: “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. Honestly I was in a daze.”
In her on‑court remarks immediately after the match, Osaka said, “I think Victoria played really well. I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. … She did really amazing.”
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While some players and fans criticized her behavior, others defended her. Andy Roddick pointed out the emotional difficulty of such moments, saying, “We’re the only sport that is forced to talk after we lose … I would rather her be friendly with Vicky Mboko all the time than at Grandstand in front of a microphone.”
Despite the controversy, Victoria Mboko celebrated her victory with grace. In her winner’s speech, she thanked Osaka directly, saying, “I also want to thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little … it’s always great to play with such an amazing player like you.”
AloJapan.com