Osaka Vows to Celebrate Her Own Accomplishments ahead of US Open Title Defense

Naomi Osaka. (Reuters)
Naomi Osaka. (Reuters)
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Osaka Vows to Celebrate Her Own Accomplishments ahead of US Open Title Defense

Naomi Osaka. (Reuters)
Naomi Osaka. (Reuters)

Naomi Osaka said she intends to celebrate her own achievements more and will not worry about the expectations others place on her as she prepares to begin her US Open title defense.

Osaka’s match against Marie Bouzkova will mark the 23-year-old’s first appearance at a Grand Slam since dropping out of French Open in June and skipping Wimbledon to protect her mental health.

“Recently I’ve been asking myself why do I feel the way I do and I realize one of the reasons is because internally, I think I’m never good enough,” the Japanese player said in a social media post on Sunday.

“I’m gonna try to celebrate myself and my accomplishments more, I think we all should.”

Osaka has emerged as the global face for the sport on the back of her four Grand Slam triumphs and outspoken views on racial injustice and police violence.

She defeated Victoria Azarenka in three sets in last year’s US Open final before going on to win the Australian Open in February.

“Your life is your own and you shouldn’t value yourself on other people’s standards,” said Osaka, who is seeded third at Flushing Meadows this year.

“I know I give my heart to everything I can and if that’s not good enough for some, then my apologies, but I can’t burden myself with those expectations anymore.”

Osaka failed to advance past the third round of her last two tournaments but can look forward to the support of tennis-starved New York fans at Flushing Meadows, where no spectators were allowed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US Open runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 12.



Genie Bouchard Will Retire from Tennis After a Final Appearance in Montreal

Genie Bouchard, from Canada, returns the ball to Danielle Collins, from the United States, during their qualifying match at the National Bank Open women's tennis tournament in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
Genie Bouchard, from Canada, returns the ball to Danielle Collins, from the United States, during their qualifying match at the National Bank Open women's tennis tournament in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
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Genie Bouchard Will Retire from Tennis After a Final Appearance in Montreal

Genie Bouchard, from Canada, returns the ball to Danielle Collins, from the United States, during their qualifying match at the National Bank Open women's tennis tournament in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
Genie Bouchard, from Canada, returns the ball to Danielle Collins, from the United States, during their qualifying match at the National Bank Open women's tennis tournament in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Genie Bouchard, who reached the Wimbledon final and two other Grand Slam semifinals in 2014, is retiring from tennis.

The Canadian will play in the National Bank Open in Montreal later this month before ending her career, Tennis Canada said Wednesday.

The organization said Bouchard, 31, would be given a wild card into the tournament in her hometown.

"You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now," Bouchard posted on social media, along with pictures of herself playing. "Ending where it all started: Montreal."

Bouchard reached No. 5 in the WTA rankings and in 2014 won her lone singles title. She lost to Petra Kvitova in the Wimbledon final after also reaching the semifinals that year at the Australian Open and French Open.

She got back to the quarterfinals in Australia in 2015, but her career was never the same after she slipped on a wet locker room floor at the US Open later that year and suffered a concussion that forced her to withdraw before her fourth-round match. She sued the US Tennis Association and a jury found that the organization was 75% at fault and she was 25% to blame.

Bouchard helped Canada win its lone Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023 but has mostly switched to pickleball, playing just one match on tour this season. She has a career singles record of 299-230.

"She has been one of the most important figures in the history of our sport in Canada and a trailblazer who redefined what Canadian tennis could be," said Valerie Tetreault, the National Bank Open tournament director. "We are proud of everything she has done, as a player and role model, and we can’t wait to see her in action one last time at IGA Stadium this summer."