'Ungrateful' Osaka's surprising admission

Naomi Osaka wondered if she was "scared" of headlines astir losing and felt "ungrateful" astatine times astir her popularity.

The world's second-ranked women's tennis subordinate is presently contesting the Cincinnati Open and controversy has already sprung up aft her archetypal media quality pursuing her exit from the Tokyo Olympics competition.

Osaka became tearful during her archetypal media league since withdrawing from the French Open successful May aft stating she wouldn't be the compulsory post-match media interview.

Her cause labelled the newsman a "bully" for asking Osaka however she balanced her dislike of media conferences with having a batch of extracurricular interests that are served by having a media platform.

An affectional Naomi Osaka during her media league astatine the Cincinnati Open. (YouTube)

Osaka did code the issue.

"I wonderment what affected me... made maine not privation to bash media?.

"I'm wondering if I was frightened due to the fact that sometimes I would spot headlines of players losing and past the header the adjacent time would beryllium similar 'a collapse' oregon 'they're not that large anymore'.

"The prime to spell retired determination and play, to spell spot fans, the radical that are coming retired and watching you play, that itself is an accomplishment and I'm not definite erstwhile on the mode I started desensitising that," Osaka said.

"It started not being an accomplishment for maine truthful I felt similar I was precise ungrateful connected that fact."

Naomi Osaka during her Olympic campaign. (Getty)

The 23-year-old besides pulled retired of Wimbledon earlier lightng the occurrence astatine the opening ceremonial of the Tokyo Olympics, wherever she aboriginal mislaid successful the 3rd round.

On Wednesday she came from a acceptable and a interruption down to bushed 17-year-old American Coco Gauff 4-6 6-3 6-4 successful the 2nd round.

Osaka felt the Covid-19 pandemic whitethorn person played a portion successful her intelligence wellness issues, but caller satellite events person fixed her a caller perspective.

"I deliberation decidedly this full Covid happening was truly stressful with the bubbles and not seeing radical and not having the interactions," said Osaka, who faces Swiss Jill Teichmann for a spot successful the quarterfinals precocious this morning.

"But seeing the authorities of the world, however everything is successful Haiti [her father's homeland, which has been deed by an earthquake and tropical tempest successful caller days] and Afghanistan close present is decidedly truly crazy, and for maine to conscionable beryllium hitting a tennis shot successful the United States close present and person radical travel and ticker maine play is... I would privation to beryllium myself successful this concern alternatively than anyone other successful the world."

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