Naomi Osaka fell to Elena Rybakina 6-1, 6-4 at the US Open, extending her Grand Slam drought since 2021. But for Osaka, the absence of another major title is no longer a source of worry. Asked in her postgame presser how it feels to go this long without a Slam, she gave a candid answer.
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Osaka said, “Someone asked me this question the other day, and I said, it feels long and short because my break time, I had a kid, you know… there’s a lot that happened in that time.”
She ended the thought by making it clear that winning another Grand Slam is not something weighing on her mind. Even after this straight-sets loss, Osaka says it doesn’t affect her as much as losses once did.
“I think I am happy that I’m taking losses differently. I’m trying to learn from them a lot more.”
Back at the 2021 US Open, Osaka lost in three sets and was so frustrated that she smashed her racket against the court and flung it as the match slipped away. Today, though visibly disappointed, she refused to dwell on it.
Osaka admitted she was upset that her body limited her performance. Osaka’s Achilles injury, which first surfaced in her earlier match against Elise Mertens, worsened against Rybakina.
But what truly reshaped Osaka’s perspective on tennis was becoming a mother to Shai in July 2023. Since then, she has spoken often about how motherhood taught her patience, priorities, and selflessness.
Motherhood has given her something more important than tennis. Her comments showed exactly how much that change has shaped her career.
“If I think about my life, my daughter’s healthy, you know. Everyone in my family’s great. I had an opportunity to play this slam. I got as far as I could, so yeah. It’s only up from here.”
That mindset was visible even before the US Open. Osaka withdrew from Cincinnati citing fatigue, then explained that her daughter needed her during that period. The decision showed that family now comes before tennis.
“I think people forget my main job is to be a mom. This [tennis] is kind of like my side hustle a little bit. I just happen to be really good at it,” she said in an interview back in August.
“If I win another Grand Slam, it’s not going to change my life. And that’s kind of crazy that I can say that,” she added.
Now, even after another US Open exit, Naomi Osaka can look beyond the court and see a life that continues moving forward.
Naomi Osaka Talks About the Whole 2026 US Open and Physical Condition
Osaka’s US Open ended with a loss, but she still saw progress. The bigger problem was that her body stopped her from showing everything she had against Elena Rybakina. Osaka confirmed she was physically compromised after her Achilles worsened before Monday’s match.
“Yes, I was compromised.”
She still felt she gave everything possible despite the struggle but failed against Rybakina’s power.
“I felt like I played the best that I could given the situation.”
The problem was clear during her serve. Her push-off and landing made her uncomfortable. Osaka tried slowing her serve down, hoping the softer landing would help.
“I thought, like, if I served a little slower, the impact when I land would be less,” she said.
That adjustment helped very little, and Osaka could not escape the problem during rallies. She admitted she does not yet know exactly how serious the injury is, even after two ultrasounds.
“I’m probably going to go get an MRI because honestly I don’t really know too much about what’s going on,” said Osaka.
Still, she leaves New York believing her game has become more consistent than ever before.
“I am a lot more consistent now than when I was younger… I am happy that I’m more consistently in the second week or in the quarters of every tournament that I play.”
Her next step is simple: recover properly, play more against the best, and keep building.