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Jonathan White

Follow our live coverage of day four of the Tokyo Olympics here
The face of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is out.
Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka may have lit the flame at the Olympic Stadium on Friday night, but her own women’s singles gold medal hopes have been extinguished.
Unseeded Marketa Vondrousova beat the four-time grand slam winner 6-1, 6-4 on Centre Court at the Ariake Tennis Park on Tuesday afternoon, dashing the host nation’s hopes of a home triumph.
Osaka did not come in to speak to the media after her defeat, but gave an interview to the official Tokyo Olympics website.


“How disappointed am I? I mean, I’m disappointed in every loss, but I feel like this one sucks more than the others,” said the 23-year-old.
“Everything [went wrong] – if you watch the match then you would probably see. I feel like there’s a lot of things that I counted on that I couldn’t rely on today.”
Osaka had cruised through the first two rounds, living up to her billing as favourite – a title that weighed even heavier after the top seed, Australia’s Ash Barty, crashed out in the first round.

“I definitely feel like there was a lot of pressure for this. I think it’s maybe because I haven’t played in the Olympics before and for the first year [it] was a bit much,” added Osaka, who came into this tournament having not played since withdrawing from the second round of the French Open at the end of May, amid a row over her boycott of media duties because of mental health reasons.
“I’ve taken long breaks before and I’ve managed to do well. I’m not saying that I did bad right now, but I do know that my expectations were a lot higher.
“I feel like my attitude wasn’t that great because I don’t really know how to cope with that pressure so that’s the best that I could have done in this situation.”



World No 42 Vondrousova, 22, did not play as if she cared about who was meant to win these Games, and put in a strong showing.
At one point even Osaka applauded her opponent for a shot that stopped the world No 2 in her tracks. Vondrousova gave Osaka the runaround at times with drop shots that left the second seed stumbling – one sliced winner to go up 5-4 in the second set was almost callous.
There were a lot of wayward shots from the top remaining seed – both into the net and long – and at one point she even hit the net where it stretches off the court.


Osaka served to stay in the match, but after saving one match point she was unable to press home her advantage. In the end, it was her own shot that cost her, hitting long once more.
The unseeded Czech marches on and the narrative that was meant to define this Olympics is no more.
“Of course it’s one of the biggest [wins of my career]. Naomi is a great player, she has so many grand slams, so I knew it would be a tough match,” Vondrousova said.

“But I’m just very happy with my play. I played amazingly in the first set, and then the second set was really tough. I’m just happy to be through.
“I [had] never played her, so I talked with the coach, I talk with the girls also. I just believe in myself the second I step on the court. I think that’s the main key.”


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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Tokyo Olympics: Naomi Osaka says ‘this one sucks more’ after shock third-round defeat by Marketa Vondrousova

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts during her third-round match against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic. Photo: Reuters

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Tennis - Women's Singles - Round 3 - Ariake Tennis Park - Tokyo, Japan - July 27, 2021. Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in action during her third round match against Naomi Osaka of Japan REUTERS/Mike Segar

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Tennis - Women's Singles - Round 3 - Ariake Tennis Park - Tokyo, Japan - July 27, 2021. Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts during her third round match against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic REUTERS/Edgar Su

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China’s Zhu Ting (left) spikes during the women's volleyball preliminary round match between China and the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Xinhua

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Hong Kong's Doo Hoi-kem serves to South Korea's Shin Yu-bin during their women's singles round three table tennis match at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

South Korea's Shin Yu-bin competes against Hong Kong's Doo Hoi-kem during her women's singles round 3 table tennis match at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo on July 27, 2021. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

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Britain’s Tom Daley and Matty Lee on their way to gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform diving final event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

26 July 2021, Japan, Tokyo: Gold medallists Britain's Thomas Daley and Matty Lee poses celebrate after wining the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final at Tokyo Aquatics Centre as part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

Britain's Thomas Daley and Britain's Matty Lee celebrate after winning to take gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

Men-synchronized-10m

(210726) -- TOKYO, July 26, 2021 (Xinhua) -- Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen of China compete during the men's synchronised 10m platform final of diving at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

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Sarah Lee leaves for Tokyo confident of winning medals in the keirin and sprint. The background shows a poster of Hong Kong athletes at the airport. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Head coach Shen Jinkang and two of his charges - Jessica Lee Hoi-yan and Sarah Lee before departure for the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

A big cycling contingent to leave for Tokyo for Olympic glory. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Hurdler Chan Chung-wang (centre) and HKAAA chairman Kwan Kee (left) also leave for the Tokyo Games. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

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Japan’s face of the Games Naomi Osaka admits ‘I don’t know how to cope with that pressure’ after third-round defeat by unseeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova.


Naomi Osaka