Osaka says she’ll return stronger after latest low, Tokyo exit to Pohankova

Four-time Grand Slam champ Naomi Osaka loses 6-3, 7-5 to 18-year-old Slovak Mia Pohankova, ranked 144 successful the world.

Former satellite fig 1 Naomi Osaka said she would “keep attempting” to get backmost to her Grand Slam-winning champion aft her play ended with a second-round exit successful Japan connected Thursday.

The four-time Grand Slam champion mislaid 6-3, 7-5 to 18-year-old Slovak Mia Pohankova, ranked 144 successful the world, astatine the Pan Pacific Open successful Tokyo.

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Osaka has not won a rubric this twelvemonth and has not reached a Grand Slam last since she returned to tennis aft a 15-month interruption pursuing the commencement of her girl Shai successful 2023.

The 29-year-old, present ranked 18 successful the world, said she was “at peace” with herself and feeling bully astir her game.

“Obviously erstwhile I play a slam, it’s successful my caput to situation for it,” she said.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been successful that presumption yet, and I’m going to support attempting it.

“But if you’re asking maine however I deliberation my tennis is, I deliberation it’s beauteous good.”

Osaka was appearing astatine the Pan Pacific Open for the archetypal clip successful 4 years.

She came retired onto the tribunal wearing a reddish kimono-style gown with a agelong frilly train.

She said she chose the colour arsenic a opposition to the bluish crane-pattern outfit she wore successful her opening lucifer this week.

Osaka said she had much outfits lined up for the Tokyo assemblage but “unfortunately” would not person a accidental to deterioration them aft exiting the tournament.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka bushed Italy’s Jasmine Paolini successful the archetypal circular of the WTA Pan Pacific Open [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP]

Osaka is known for grabbing headlines with her flamboyant custom-made outfits.

She channelled NBA manner trailblazer Allen Iverson astatine the US Open and wore an audacious “jellyfish-inspired” outfit successful Australia.

She besides drew connected her Japanese practice with a kimono-inspired achromatic formal astatine Wimbledon.

“There are truthful galore things that spell connected successful my mind, and it was conscionable a originative outlet,” she said.

“All the different sports are allowed to bash that, and tennis is much subdued and restrained.”

Osaka started the lucifer with an ace, but erstwhile inferior Wimbledon champion Pohankova soon turned the tables connected her.

The Slovak, who said she grew up watching Osaka, broke her hostile 3 times to instrumentality the archetypal acceptable and kept the momentum going to triumph the match.

Pohankova deed 7 aces, and Osaka said it was “tricky to play idiosyncratic that I cognize thing about”.

“It is simply a small difficult, but I besides retrieve erstwhile I was successful her presumption and I was playing players that I watched connected TV,” Osaka said.

“I conjecture property catches up to you eventually.”

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez progressed to the quarterfinals aft beating fig 5 effect Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-2, 7-6 (10/8).