Naomi Osaka Admits Feeling “a Little Confused” After Her Loss to Emma Raducanu at the Citi Open

Emma Raducanu cruised past Naomi Osaka in straight sets in their first-ever encounter.

Naomi Osaka Admits Feeling “a Little Confused” After Her Loss to Emma Raducanu at the Citi Open

Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka (via X/Emma Raducanu News/Citi Open)

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Naomi Osaka’s run at the Citi Open came to an end after a straight-set defeat against Emma Raducanu in the round of 16. The matchup was the first meeting between the former US Open champions on tour. Osaka revealed after the loss that she was a little bit confused as things didn’t go as per planned during the match.

Osaka has experienced a rough patch in her career since returning to tour in 2024. The former World No.1 has often revealed that she works hard in training and practice but it doesn’t reflect in her game on the court. At Washington, she was hoping to reach her second tour-level final of the season.

But her plans were hurt by her seven double-faults against Raducanu. The British star dominated the match, though Osaka showed some fight in the first set as she made things difficult for Raducanu. But in the second set, she played with less confidence and was all over the place.

Raducanu, who had shown a glimpse of consistency on the court for the past two months, took charge of the match. Osaka made just 46 percent of her first serve and won only 43 percent of her second serve. The British star went on to win the match 6-4, 6-2 to reach back-to-back Citi Open quarter-finals.

During Osaka’s press conference, she was asked about her performance on the court. The four-time Grand Slam champion revealed that before entering the court she had a game plan, but failed to implement it against Raducanu:

I think all losses suck a lot. But I don’t know. I’m also a little confused why I’m okay right now compared to, like, other matches in the past. I think it’s because now I have a clear plan on what to do, but I also feel like that’s been a buildup of, like, this year. But maybe you’re right, like if I did have a match point and I lost, I would be, like, a completely different attitude right now. But I guess it depends on the tolerance of the player.

Raducanu now has a chance of winning the Washington Open following her win against Osaka. The 2021 US Open champion will face Maria Sakkari next for a place in the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament. She holds a 2-0 lead over the Greek star in their head-to-head record, and she’s yet to drop a point against her.

Naomi Osaka reveals what she hopes to improve on after Washington exit

Naomi Osaka’s poor service has been her undoing at the Citi Open. The Japanese star won 88 percent of her first serve against Yulia Putintseva in the first round but made just 42 percent of them. Against Emma Raducanu, she served below fifty percent and hit seven double faults which led to her loss.

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka (Image via X/ESPN)

After the match, she was asked what she would like to improve on before the Canadian Open. The Japanese star revealed that it will be her service game as she looks forward to continuing to work on it with a positive attitude:

I just think, you know, obviously my serve could have been better. I think I want to work on things. Obviously today’s not the result I wanted, so hopefully just keep working and I guess having a positive attitude and try to keep moving forward.

Osaka is yet to win a tour-level title this season. But, she did claim her first clay-court title at the WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo, France. Since then, she has not gotten past the round of 16 of any tournament. However, she hopes to do well at the Canadian Open, which kicks off on July 26 in Montreal.

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