Naomi Osaka Says 'Hitting a Ball' Barely Matters After 5-7, 3-6 French Open Loss

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 2

Naomi Osaka said “hitting a ball doesn’t really matter” after a 5-7, 3-6 fourth-round loss to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros.
The 28-year-old made the remark when asked whether she could draw encouragement from the defeat or felt daunted by the gap to Sabalenka.
Osaka said she used to be “very, very disappointed” after losses like these but now tries not to be discouraged by either defeats or wins.
The loss left Osaka 1-3 all-time against Sabalenka, with all three defeats coming in 2026, underscoring a one-sided recent matchup.

Sources

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