Why Naomi Osaka isn’t disappointed by US Open Round of 16 loss to Elena Rybakina

Naomi Osaka failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open after bowing to Elena Rybakina in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, in the Round of 16 at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday.

The second-seeded Rybakina, who is just a win away from earning the world No. 1 ranking, made quick work of the 13th-seeded Osaka, hitting 29 winners and seven aces. She only had 17 unforced errors.

Osaka has not reached the ultimate round since winning the trophy in 2020. She, however, maintained that she was fine with losing to Rybakina.

“Honestly, I’m not disappointed now. It’s a very strange feeling, I think. Last year, I was not disappointed either because Amanda (Anisimova) just played really insanely. Maybe I’m just getting older, but I don’t feel sad,” said Osaka in the post-match conference.

“I think I’m happy that I’m taking losses differently. I’m trying to learn from them a lot more, I think.”

“It’s only up from here.”

Naomi Osaka speaks on her run in the US Open ending in the Round of 16

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The 28-year-old Osaka used to take defeats hard, admitting that the high stress and immense pressure significantly affected her mental health. But after taking breaks from tennis and becoming a mother, the two-time US Open champion has developed a stronger mindset.

She admitted that it was frustrating that she was not at her best against Rybakina. But she remained positive, stressing that tennis is not the be-all and end-all.

“If I think about my life, my daughter’s healthy, everyone in my family is great, I had the opportunity to play this Slam, and I got as far as I could. Yeah, it’s only up from here, I guess,” said Osaka.

Last week, Osaka grabbed attention at the US Open for paying tribute to Allen Iverson.