Osaka Vows to Keep Pushing After Season Ends With Tokyo Loss to Teenager Pohankova

Naomi Osaka says she will keep working toward recapturing her Grand Slam-winning form after her season came to an end with a second-round defeat at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Thursday.

The former world number one, a four-time major champion, lost 6-3, 7-5 to Slovakia's Mia Pohankova, an 18-year-old ranked 144th in the world. Pohankova is a former junior Wimbledon champion.

Osaka has not won a title this year. She has also not reached a Grand Slam final since returning to the sport after a 15-month break that followed the birth of her daughter Shai in 2023. The 29-year-old is currently ranked 18th in the world.

Despite the result, Osaka said she was at peace and pleased with her game. "Obviously when I play a slam, it's in my mind to challenge for it," she said. "Unfortunately, I haven't been in that position yet, and I'm going to keep attempting it. But if you're asking me how I think my tennis is, I think it's pretty good."

The match began well for Osaka, who opened with an ace. Pohankova soon took control, however, breaking her opponent three times to win the first set and carrying that momentum through to the finish. The teenager struck seven aces in the match and said she grew up watching Osaka play.

Osaka acknowledged the difficulty of facing an unfamiliar opponent. "It is a little difficult, but I also remember when I was in her position and I was playing players that I watched on TV," she said. "I guess age catches up to you eventually." She also described it as "tricky to play someone that I know nothing about".

It was Osaka's first appearance at the Pan Pacific Open in four years, and she made an entrance to match the occasion. She walked on court in a red kimono-style gown with a long frilly train, a deliberate contrast to the blue crane-pattern outfit she wore in her opening match this week. She said she had more outfits prepared for the Tokyo crowd but would "unfortunately" not get to wear them after her exit.

Osaka is well known for headline-grabbing custom outfits. This season she channelled NBA fashion trailblazer Allen Iverson at the US Open, wore a bold jellyfish-inspired design in Australia and drew on her Japanese heritage with a kimono-inspired white dress at Wimbledon. "There are so many things that go on in my mind, and it was just a creative outlet," she said. "All the other sports are allowed to do that, and tennis is more subdued and restrained."

Elsewhere in Tokyo, Canada's Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 7-6 (10/8) win over fifth seed Elise Mertens of Belgium.