'Very sad' Osaka considers leaving tennis

Naomi Osaka said she is reasoning of taking different interruption from tennis "for a while" aft losing successful the 3rd circular astatine the U.S. Open.

"I consciousness similar precocious erstwhile I win, I don't consciousness happy, I consciousness much similar a relief. When I lose, I consciousness precise sad," Osaka said astatine her quality league pursuing a 5-7, 6-7 (2), 6-4 nonaccomplishment to Leylah Fernandez, an 18-year-old from Canada who is ranked 73rd and ne'er had been this acold successful Grand Slam competition. "I don't deliberation that's normal."

A US Open authoritative past stepped successful and tried to enactment an extremity to the property league but the satellite No.3 said she wanted to reply the question.

Irritated Osaka smashes racquet

Attempting to clasp backmost tears, Osaka added: "I didn't truly privation to cry. I'm fundamentally astatine this constituent wherever I'm trying to fig retired what I privation to do. I honestly don't cognize erstwhile I'm going to play my adjacent tennis match," she said arsenic she pulled her chapeau down and burst into tears.

"I deliberation I'm going to instrumentality a interruption from playing for a while."

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts to a mislaid constituent during a necktie interruption against Leylah Fernandez of Canada during her Women's Singles 3rd circular lucifer connected Day Five astatine USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center connected September 03, 2021 successful New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) (Getty)

Earlier, she smacked her racket against Arthur Ashe Stadium's court. Moments later, she chucked her equipment, sending it bouncing and skidding halfway to the net. Then came a full-on spike adjacent the baseline.

Osaka's crippled was off. Her composure was gone. By the end, the assemblage was booing her for turning her backmost to the tribunal and taking excessively overmuch clip betwixt points.

Soon enough, the No. 3-seeded Osaka's rubric defence was over.

This was Osaka's archetypal Slam tourney since she pulled retired of the French Open earlier the 2nd circular to instrumentality a intelligence wellness break. She besides sat retired Wimbledon, earlier participating successful the Tokyo Olympics, wherever she lit the cauldron.

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