Osaka upbeat despite losing to Swiatek: “I’m kind of setting myself up for September”

Although disappointed by her three-set loss to Iga Swiatek at Roland-Garros on Wednesday, Naomi Osaka is able to see the bigger picture.

Michael Baucher / Panoramic

Ricky Dimon

May 29, 2024

Tears understandably came for Naomi Osaka following her heartbreaking loss to Iga Swiatek in round two at Roland-Garros on Wednesday evening.

After all, she could not have come any closer to upsetting the world No 1. Osaka had a match point on her own serve before falling to Swiatek 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 in two hours and 57 minutes. The four-time major winner also had a break point to go up 5-1 in the third, was two points away from victory with Swiatek serving at 2-5, 0-30 and found herself one point from winning at 5-3, Ad-in.

It’s tough,because obviously the results aren’t resulting right now. But I think I’m growing every tournament.
Naomi Osaka

Despite failing to get across the finish line, Osaka was able to take the positives out of what was a mostly outstanding performance.

“It’s not the worst (feeling),” the world No 145 said during her post-match press conference. “Like, I (have) felt worse, for sure. I cried when I got off the court, but then… I kind of realised I was watching Iga win this tournament last year and I was pregnant. It was just my dream to be able to play her.

“When I kind of think of it like that, I think I’m doing pretty well. And I’m also just trying not to be too hard on myself.”

Osaka also knows that her best chance to add to her haul of Grand Slam titles will come later this summer. The grass courts of Wimbledon certainly give her a better shot than the red clay of Roland-Garros, but it is at the U.S. Open where she can really thrive. In fact, all four of the 26-year-old’s slam wins have come on hard courts — two in New York and two in Australia.

“I feel like I played her on her better surface,” Osaka noted. “I’m a hard-court kid, so I would love to play her on my surface and see what happens. Yeah, I also said in Australia that I’m kind of setting myself up for September anyway.

“I feel like I’m playing better because there were specific things I worked on to get better. I also feel like it’s tough,because obviously the results aren’t resulting right now. But I think I’m growing every tournament.”

After missing all of 2022, Osaka has played in 10 tournaments this season. She has reached only one quarter-final (Doha), but improvements have clearly been made in her last two clay-court events. Osaka advanced to the fourth round in Rome and then almost beat Swiatek — the best player in the world — on her favorite surface.

It was a much better result than her last result against Swiatek, a 6-4, 6-0 loss in the 2022 Miami final.

“I also feel like the last time I played Iga, which was obviously in Miami, I got bageled in one set,” Osaka reflected. “So I do think that I’m hopefully playing better.”

Based on Wednesday’s level, that’s an understatement.