hts of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Osaka delivered a performance that mixed nerves with flashes of her trademark power — and afterwards, she admitted the emotions of the occasion weighed heavily on her.
Osaka has had a great few weeks going into the US Open landing as the favourite for Kim Clijsters after reaching the final of the Canadian Open. But being a multiple time Grand Slam champion, Osaka is admittedly her own worst critic as she picked out the worst part of her game in her press conference.
“My least favorite part was honestly my attitude,” Osaka said candidly in her post-match press conference. “I was just very stressed. It was the first round, and this tournament means a lot to me. I really wanted to win, but I wish I thought more about the process rather than the result. But I’m glad I was able to win.”
Despite the stress, Osaka found joy in one moment that captured the New York crowd’s imagination. “My favorite part… I was not expecting everyone to like Billie Jean Bling. So I’m glad she made people smile today.”
