Naomi Osaka lost to Coco Gauff at the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, but the Japanese player walked away from the match content with the way she played.
Despite losing 4-6, 4-6 to an inspired Coco Gauff, there will be plenty of positives to take for the Japanese star. It would have been her playing style which would have filled her with confidence for who she is as a player and a person.
Never giving up, Osaka proved that she still has what it takes to be part of the elite in women's tennis, and this may be just the confidence boost she needs as she is still finding her best levels since opening up on her mental health situation.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has been subject to more than her fair share of critics since opening up about her mental health struggles, but she believes this could end up being exactly the antidote she needed to prove what she knew all along.
"When I was playing the match just now I realized that I’ve been letting people call me mentally weak for so long that I forgot who I was. I realized that that’s something that I do."
"I lost the match today but I feel really confident in who I am. I feel like the pressure doesn’t beat me. I am the pressure. I’m really happy with that."
Speaking post-match, she also praised Gauff for the development she has been through in recent months since her breakthrough as a major player in women's tennis.
"She's very much a star. It's very clear. She's very important to the game. After Roland Garros last year, when I withdrew, she was the 1st player to message me, and I've never forgotten that. I have so much love for her, and I think she behaves well beyond her age."
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