Naomi Osaka on Tuesday continued her pattern of being a sore loser following defeats.
Osaka was upset by Marketa Vondrousova in the third round of the women’s singles event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She played a poor match and lost in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.
The Olympics marked Osaka’s return to tennis after a controversy at the French Open where Osaka stated her refusal to fulfill media obligations. Osaka eventually withdrew from that event and then did not participate in Wimbledon.
After her loss to Vondrousova, “organizers said that Osaka had left the venue and would not be talking to the media,” the AP reported.
A Bloomberg reported expressed her disappointment over Osaka avoiding questions.
Wow big loss. Sad to see Naomi Osaka is out of the #Olympics
We were waiting for her but was told she left in a private car. Bypassed media… couldn’t ask her my questions But can’t blame her. So much pressure especially in Japan. Hope she rests & eats something yummy now! pic.twitter.com/G6XnhvpJkK
— Kurumi Mori (@rumireports) July 27, 2021
NBC reported that Osaka left the building quickly and did not speak with the media. However, Osaka returned and answered one question from NBC’s Trenni Kusnierek.
Osaka was asked how much the heat was a factor. Osaka said that everyone played in the same conditions, so it didn’t really matter that much.
And that was that.
Osaka continues to be a walking contradiction. She portrays herself as a victim of an evil media that is bullying her. Yet she voluntarily takes advantage of the benefits of the media by posing on the cover of a magazine and lighting the Olympic cauldron. She even spoke with the media after her two Olympic wins. But then she avoided them after a loss. She wants the good of the media without the bad, which is definitive proof that her issue is an inability to cope with losing.
