A Shock Exit for Japanese Star - Osaka at Tokyo Olympics
While both players produced 22 winners, Osaka hit 32 unforced errors to Vondrousova's 10. But it wasn't simply an off day for Osaka; it was also an outstanding performance from Vondrousova
Japan's superstar Naomi Osaka is out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Naomi Osaka lost to former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4 in the third round of the Tokyo tennis tournament.
Osaka, who had the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron in Friday's opening ceremony, won her opening two matches in straight sets following a two-month mental-health break, but conditions were different Tuesday with the roof closed because it was raining outside.
The Japanese born Naomi Osaka who is second-ranked grew up in the United States, struggled with her usually reliable ground-strokes while the 42nd-ranked Vondrousova produced a series of drop-shot winners and other crafty shots that drew her opponent out of her comfort zone.
Shortly after the match was over, organizers said that Osaka had left the venue and wouldn't be talking to the media.
Osaka skipped Wimbledon earlier this month. She withdrew from the French Open in May, a day after she was fined $15,000 and threatened with suspension for refusing to appear at tournament news conferences, writing that those media appearances caused "huge waves of anxiety."
Osaka had announced on the eve of the Grand Slam tournament that she wouldn’t speak to the media, to protect her mental health.
Osaka opened up about her mental health struggles and her decision to drop out of the French Open in an essay in Time magazine, saying "it's O.K. to not be O.K."
Vondrousova came out with her entire game clicking from the start and quickly ran out to a 4-0 lead in the first set as Osaka hardly had time to gather herself.
Osaka then broke Vondrousova's serve in the opening game of the second set but almost immediately handed the break back when she double-faulted to make it 2-2.
After Osaka lost her serve again to end the match by hitting a cross-court backhand wide, she shook hands with Vondrousova at the net, walked to her chair, zipped her racket up in her bag and followed Vondrousova off the court.