Naomi Osaka isn’t holding back after her Wimbledon third-round loss. This time, not just on court, but against the media too. The four-time Grand Slam champion has publicly criticized ESPN and other sports outlets for selectively sharing emotional clips from her press conferences following defeats.
On Friday, Osaka was eliminated from the tournament by Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, despite a promising start that saw her win her first two matches in straight sets. The loss — 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 — ended her deepest Grand Slam run since 2022, and once again, she found herself going viral for emotional reasons.
“Why Push the Narrative That I’m Always Sad?”
After her post-match press conference was clipped and shared widely online, Osaka took to Threads to voice her frustration:
“Bro why is it every time I do a press conference after a loss the ESPNs and blogs gotta clip it and put it up. Wtf, why don’t they clip my press conferences after I win? Like why push the narrative that I’m always sad?”
The 27-year-old, now ranked No. 53 in the world, pointed out the emotional rollercoaster that comes with professional sports and criticized the media for amplifying only one side of her.
“Sure I was disappointed a couple hours ago, now I’m motivated to do better. That’s human emotions… I feel like I should be fake happy all the time.”
Wimbledon Emotional Honesty or Media Target?
In her post-match remarks, Osaka admitted to feeling emotionally numb following the loss. “I’d prefer to feel nothing than everything,” she said. “I’m just going to be a negative human being today. I’m so sorry. I have nothing positive to say about myself, which is something I’m working on.”
She acknowledged some bright spots in her life, most notably, celebrating her daughter’s birthday earlier in the week. But made it clear that her mind was still consumed with the missed opportunities on the court.
Her comments and ESPN’s backlash reignite a broader conversation around athlete mental health, media responsibility, and the fine line between coverage and exploitation.
Despite the disappointment, Osaka is setting her sights on a venue where she’s found great success before, the U.S. Open. With titles in 2018 and 2020, the New York Grand Slam remains her most successful major. And fans will be watching closely to see if she can regain her championship form.
One thing is clear: win or lose, Naomi Osaka is demanding that the spotlight shine on the full picture, not just the tearful moments.
Read More: Wimbledon Breaks Protocol in Emotional Farewell to Petra Kvitova
