Naomi Osaka

World number one Ash Barty and defending champion Naomi Osaka could set up a tantalising fourth-round showdown at the Australian Open with victories at Melbourne Park on Friday. Barty, whose stunning form has seen her drop just three games so far, takes on 30th seed Camila Giorgi in the third round, while Osaka faces Amanda Anisimova, who won the Melbourne Summer Set 2 tournament in the lead-up. Barty and Osaka have both won twice against each other but have not met in over

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka said she was concerned over the wherabouts of fellow tennis player Peng Shuai, who has not been heard from since making allegations of sexual assault against a former Chinese vice premier. Peng, one of China's biggest sport stars, said on social media earlier this month that a former member of China's Politburo Standing Committee, Zhang Gaoli, coerced her into sex and that they later had an on-off consensual relationship. The global tennis community has grown alarmed as

Defending champion Naomi Osaka claimed a straight-set victory at the US Open on her first Grand Slam appearance since withdrawing from the French Open. The Japanese third seed, 23, ground down Czech world number 87 Marie Bouzkova for a 6-4 6-1 first-round win. She will play world number 145 Olga Danilovic of Serbia next. Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros in May, revealing she had "suffered long bouts of depression" since winning her first major title at the 2018 US Open. The four-time major

THE HINDU Naomi Osaka has no regrets over her stunning third-round loss on August 19 at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters to Swiss wild card Jil Teichmann. The four-time Grand Slam champion went down 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to the world number 76 and admitted after the upset that her Tokyo Olympic third-round loss was on her mind. “I was doing all I was supposed to do,” the Japanese world number two said. “In the second and third sets I was too defensive. “I

Naomi Osaka says she felt "ungrateful" at points during the last year for being unable to appreciate her success. The world number two was speaking after beating American teenager Coco Gauff at the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday. She also discussed her reasons for withdrawing from the French Open in May, having said on the eve of that tournament that speaking to the media was damaging her mental health. "I wonder what affected me... made me not want to do media?" she said. "I'm wondering if

Naomi Osaka broke down in tears before resuming her first news conference since the controversy over refusing to speak to media at the French Open. Osaka became emotional shortly after being asked about "dealing with media in this format" - and the Cincinnati Masters video call was briefly halted. Earlier, the Japanese star, 23, said she was "proud" of the stand she took in Paris. "It was something that needed to be done," she said. At May's French Open, four-time Grand Slam winner

KUALA LUMPUR: Japan's Naomi Osaka will return to the spotlight on Sunday, kicking off her Olympic campaign as a home crowd favourite after taking a mental health break two months ago. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and world number two, has not played a competitive match since pulling out of the French Open in May amid controversy https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/osaka-withdraws-french-open-following-row-over-media-boycott-2021-05-31 over her decision to skip all press conferences at the tournament in an effort to protect her mental well-being. But with all of her

LONDON: Naomi Osaka will defend her title at the US Open, organisers said on Wednesday (Jul 21), after she withdrew from this year's French Open and Wimbledon on mental health grounds. Japan's Osaka stunned the tennis world when she quit the claycourt major in Paris in May following her first-round match after being fined and threatened with disqualification when she refused to attend mandatory post-match press conferences. The world number two, who said she had social anxiety, also skipped Wimbledon but is scheduled

Japan's Naomi Osaka, a self-confessed introvert who withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon on mental health grounds, has encouraged girls around the world to embrace what makes them different. Osaka, 23, one of Japan's best gold medal prospects at the Tokyo Olympics, used her spot in the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) "Stronger Together" campaign to say that the definition of an Olympian is broader than sometimes thought. "People might think I'm quiet. Different. That I don't fit the box of what an

Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka, with 24 Grand Slam titles between them, both withdrew from Wimbledon on Thursday (Jun 17) with the Spanish star also pulling out of the Tokyo Olympics in a bid "to prolong my career". Nadal's snub of the Olympics was later followed by world No 5 Dominic Thiem also withdrawing from Tokyo. Osaka, however, said she still intended to take part in her home Olympics. The 35-year-old Nadal, who won Olympic gold and Wimbledon in 2008, triumphing again at

Taking a hard line with elite athletes – that they are contractually bound to show up before the media - can backfire when there is anxiety among the best performers, says a psychologist. QUEENSLAND: Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka took a stand this week that called attention to the mental health of professional athletes. She refused to conduct interviews with the media after her matches at the French Open, citing concerns over her own mental well-being. And, in return, the tennis authorities fined

TOKYO: Japanese fans and public figures rallied in support of tennis star Naomi Osaka on Tuesday (Jun 1), offering sympathy after she withdrew from the French Open and opened up about her battles with depression. The four-time Grand Slam winner's career is followed closely in Japan and the controversy in Paris, which followed her refusal to attend press conferences, led news bulletins on Tuesday. Reaction in Japan was largely sympathetic, with one Twitter user urging Osaka to "take a good, long break". "I

Japan's Naomi Osaka said on Sunday that while she has spent her entire life waiting to compete at the Olympics, the risks of holding the Tokyo Games amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic should continue to be carefully discussed. Opinion surveys have shown that most Japanese oppose holding the Games this summer due to worries about the coronavirus, and Tokyo itself is currently under a state of emergency to tame a rise in infections. Osaka, the world number two women's tennis player and one

LONDON: Naomi Osaka had grown so accustomed to dominating that she was not immediately sure what lessons to take after her 23-match winning streak came to an abrupt end in quarter-final action at the Miami Open on Wednesday (Mar 31). Osaka, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion whose last loss came in February 2020, was beaten 6-0 6-4 by Greek 23rd seed Maria Sakkari. "I feel like even if you're not playing great you should still find ways to win. I'm

Serena Williams has pulled out of this week's Miami Open after having oral surgery. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was knocked out of the Australian Open semi-finals by Naomi Osaka in January. "I am disappointed to withdraw," said 39-year-old Williams, who has won the Miami Open eight times. "Miami is a special tournament for me because it's my home and I am sad I won't be able to see the incredible fans this year." The men's draw has already been depleted by

Second Australian Open – and fourth major – will not be the last shiny trophy engraved with her name. As a coral sun set behind the Melbourne skyline, Naomi Osaka walked to her mark, danced lightly on the balls of her feet, rapped her left thigh with her left fist two times and crouched, ready to receive Jennifer Brady’s serve. She did this over and over: jig, tap, dip; jig, tap, dip. It was a meditation that secured a second Australian Open title and a

Naomi Osaka ended Serena Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with an imperious 6-3 6-4 win on Thursday, a victory that booked her spot in her second Australian Open final and left the American great in tears. In a rematch of their tumultuous 2018 U.S. Open decider, Osaka underlined her status as the new queen of women’s tennis and soaked up the cheers from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as fans returned to the Grand Slam after a five-day lockdown.

Naomi Osaka claimed an impressive victory over Serena Williams to reach the Australian Open final and end the American's latest quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. Three-time Slam champion Osaka withstood early pressure from Williams to win 6-3 6-4. Osaka is on a 20-match unbeaten streak and has never lost a Slam final. The Japanese will face Jennifer Brady in Saturday's final after the American beat Karolina Muchova. Brady came past the Czech 6-4 3-6 6-4 to seal a spot in

Naomi Osaka reached her fourth major final by beating Williams 6-3, 6-4 to stretch her winning streak to 20 matches. Naomi Osaka has stopped Serena Williams’ latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title in the Australian Open semifinals. Osaka reached her fourth major final by beating Williams 6-3, 6-4 to stretch her winning streak to 20 matches. Williams grabbed the first two games before Osaka took control with a five-game run. Osaka broke Williams to begin the second set and

Australian Open: Naomi Osala beat Hsieh Su-Wei 6-2, 6-2 to seal a berth in the semi-finals. World number three Naomi Osaka sailed past Hsieh Su-wei in straight sets Tuesday to book an Australian Open semi-final against either Serena Williams or Simona Halep. The Japanese three-time Grand Slam champion overcame the Taiwanese world number 71's unorthodox style 6-2, 6-2 in an all-Asian quarter-final at a crowd-less Rod Laver Arena. "I was pretty calm. I'm really happy how I played today," said Osaka, who hit