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Naomi Osaka planning to take break ‘for a while’ after US Open shocker
Naomi Osaka lost her cool, then she lost her U.S. Open title defense. And afterward, a clearly-shaken Osaka suggested she will be taking another break from the game.
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After an emotionally fraught upset loss ended her U.S. Open title defense Friday night, a teary-eyed Naomi Osaka said she will be taking a break from tennis. How long that break will be, even Osaka doesn’t know.
Teenager Leylah Fernandez rattled Osaka and stormed back for a 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4 win that included a meltdown from the defending champ. Osaka, during a second-set tiebreak, tossed her racquet three times, then left the court to compose herself. The 18-year-old Fernandez’s victory was the biggest stunner of the tournament — until Osaka dropped her postmatch bombshell.
“Basically, I feel like I’m at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match,” said Osaka, her eyes welling up as she ended her postmatch interview.
This was Osaka’s first major since she pulled out of the French Open this spring and skipped Wimbledon in July, due to mental health issues. Now, she could be taking another break.