Naomi Osaka will take a break from tennis after her shocking elimination from the 2021 US Open. Osaka, who is the tournament’s reigning champion, was ousted from the tournament by the unseeded Leylah Fernandez in a 7-5, 6-7, 4-6 third-round match.
At the post-match conference, Osaka, who was open about her recent struggles with mental health, admitted that tennis isn’t making her happy anymore. She then revealed that she doesn’t know when she could play again and announced an indefinite break from the sport.
“Basically I feel like I’m kind of 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. “I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.”
Osaka also took a break after withdrawing from the 2021 French Open in May and ended up missing Wimbledon as a result. She returned to tennis in August with an appearance at the 2021 Western & Southern Open.
While Osaka managed to win the first set against Fernandez, she never seemed to have settled in rhythm. She was visibly frustrated throughout the match and even smashed her racket at one point. This allowed Fernandez to survive the second set tiebreak and then to cruise to a third set win carried by the support of the audience at the Flushing Meadows.
Fernandez will now play against another US Open champion Angelique Kerber in the fourth round. Regardless of the outcome, this will be the best result at the Grand Slams for the 18-year-old star.
