Naomi Osaka told to grow up as behavior toward opponent noticed

Naomi Osaka was criticized for her brief and impersonal runner-up speech at the Canadian Open, with fellow players accusing her of acting ‘childish’

16:15 ET, 14 Aug 2025Updated 16:15 ET, 14 Aug 2025

Victoria Mboko claimed her biggest career win against Naomi Osaka(Image: Getty)

Naomi Osaka put on a stunning show at the Canadian Open, making it all the way to the final just days after parting ways with her coach, but her post-match comments stole the spotlight from her incredible run. It came just hours after she was left shook before the final.

She lost to 18-year-old Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, Osaka’s decision not to mention her opponent during her brief runner-up speech sparked fierce backlash. Osaka then pulled out of the Cincinnati Open before the U.S. Open.

At the Montreal ceremony, Osaka kept her comments surprisingly brief and distant. “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, completely ignoring Mboko. Mboko, meanwhile, showed her true colors after the win.

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Now, former World No. 11, Sam Querrey, who hung up his racket in 2022, took exception to the comments.

“Can Osaka not just act like an adult for five minutes?” he scathed on ‘The Nothing Major Show’ podcast. “Just give a nice speech, fake it for a minute and then move on to the locker room. It drives me nuts.

“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 shared similar views, 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.”

Osaka fell to Mboko in the Canadian Open final(Image: Getty)

After facing criticism, Osaka publicly addressed the controversy the following day.

She posted on Threads: “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.

“I think Victoria played really well. I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. … She did really amazing.”

While certain players and supporters slammed her conduct, others came to her defense. Andy Roddick highlighted the emotional challenge of such situations.

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“We’re the only sport that is forced to talk after we lose,” he said. “I would rather her be friendly with Vicky Mboko all the time than at Grandstand in front of a microphone.”

Despite the drama, Mboko celebrated her triumph with dignity. During her victory speech, she thanked Osaka personally.

“I also want to thank Naomi for an incredible match,” she said. “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.”