Naomi Osaka battled Coco Gauff last night losing 4-6 4-6 but the American emerged happy with her performance.
Osaka has been traditionally very strict with herself due to her competitive nature and desire to be the best. However, after experiencing mental issues recently, Osaka adopted a new mindset that is geared more towards having fun on the court rather than putting too much pressure on herself to win every match. It's working for her as she's feeling joy on the court again.
She's also not bothered by pressure anymore as she feels confident in who she is and how she plays tennis. That's something that makes her happy:
"When I was playing the match just now I realized that I’ve been letting people call me mentally weak for so long that I forgot who I was. I realized that that’s something that I do. I lost the match today but I feel really confident in who I am. I feel like the pressure doesn’t beat me. I am the pressure. I’m really happy with that.”
She also praised her opponent Gauff calling her a star:
"She's very much a star. It's very clear. She's very important to the game. After RG last year when I withdrew, she was the 1st player to message me and I've never forgotten that. I have so much love for her and I think she behaves well beyond her age."
Osaka on Gauff: "She's very much a star. It's very clear. She's very important to the game. "After RG last year when I withdrew, she was the 1st player to message me and I've never forgotten that. I have so much love for her and I think she behaves well beyond her age."
