By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday September 3, 2021
After a difficult loss to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez on Friday at the US Open (5-7, 7-6, 6-4), Naomi Osaka is contemplating some time away from the game. Just how much time isn’t clear.
More: Fernandez, 18, Hits the Big Time with Upset of Osaka
The four-time major champion had an emotional press conference and apologized for her uncharacteristic behavior during the loss to Fernandez during the match. Osaka failed to serve out the match in the second set and smashed a racquet and later whacked a ball into the crowd to earn a code violation for ball abuse in the third set.
“I'm really sorry about that. I'm not really sure why," Osaka said. "Like, I felt like I was pretty—I was telling myself to be calm, but I feel like maybe there was a boiling point. Normally I feel like I like challenges. But recently I feel very anxious when things don't go my way, and I feel like you can feel that. I'm not really sure why it happens the way it happens now.”
Later in the press conference Osaka became more emotional and had a teary-eyed moment. She later, during the Japanese portion of her press conference, revealed that she may take some time away 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,” she said. “I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while.”