Naomi Osaka cries over coach split controversy after Dubai defeat as Asia’s first world No 1 shrinks in the spotlight
- Japanese star loses first match since shock split from coach Sascha Bajin after Australian Open win
- The 21-year-old says ‘I feel like people are staring at me, and not in a good way’ as pressure mounts
A tearful Naomi Osaka said the pressure of being world No 1 and the intense media spotlight caused by her sudden split from former coach Sascha Bajin contributed to her losing her first match since winning the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old was dumped out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in her opening match on Tuesday, losing 6-3, 6-3 to France’s Kristina Mladenovic in the second round after receiving a first-round bye.
“It’s a little bit hard because I feel like people are staring at me, and not in a good way,” the Japanese-Haitian said in a post-match press conference.
Osaka – the first Asian male or female to top the rankings – had drafted in Japan Tennis Association coach Masashi Yoshikawa to work with her in Dubai but he was unable to inspire her as she capitulated in just over an hour.
WTA Coach of the Year Bajin had also guided Osaka to her maiden grand slam at the US Open, having joined her team at the start of 2018 when she was No 72 in the WTA rankings.
But the German was unceremoniously dismissed last week after speculation of a rift in Melbourne, and Osaka said before the tournament in the UAE she wasn’t willing to risk her happiness for the sake of her success.