Osaka: "I'm very obsessive, I put too much pressure on myself"

Naomi Osaka is a special athlete, a special woman with a strong personality and convictions, who contributes to the spectacle and can be polarizing. She seems born to succeed at the New York show, and her debut at this US Open 2026 was not without media noise, nerves, and unforgettable images, such as the way she jumped onto the court, inspired by Allen Iverson.

After struggling to win against Zakharova, having to resort to two tiebreaks and overcoming her nerves and a significantly improvable tennis level, the Japanese player appeared at a press conference to discuss various topics, leaving powerful headlines regarding her emotional management of tournaments like this and her association with the prestigious coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Additionally, she delved into the reasons that led her to take the court "disguised" as former basketball player Allen Iverson. In short, genius and figure Naomi Osaka.

This is what Naomi Osaka said at the 2026 US Open press conference

Overwhelming nerves in her debut

"I wouldn't be so arrogant as to say it was just me who had difficulties winning. I think she was playing very well and, obviously, I had never played against her, so it was a bit hard to understand her patterns.

For my part, I was very nervous. In some situations, I wasn't serving well. Also, I felt she was being much more aggressive than I was and taking more risks. I think that was it.

Then I talked a bit with Tomasz, and I feel that how the match went was not ideal, but I am happy to have overcome it and to have the chance to play another match.

The regrets would probably be that I wasn't able to close the set or take advantage of the opportunities I had. I know that the further I advance in the tournament, the tougher the players will be, so I really need to be able to concentrate and seize opportunities like that."

Allen Iverson inspires Osaka's striking look

One of the highlights of her debut was also her wardrobe, inspired by one of the great figures in American basketball. Osaka explained the origin of a design that aimed to unite sport, culture, and style.

"Obviously, the inspiration is Allen Iverson. To me, he is a pioneer. He is someone who was able to merge culture and sport, and he is very famous for it. I also really like his style. That’s what I tried to represent. Obviously, I had a lot of fun with the design process and just creating everything. Overall, it was great.

The whole look for @naomiosaka 👀 pic.twitter.com/m4B5lEspzf

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2026

I think it fit very well with New York, and I am excited to continue. Regarding the particular accessory she wore on the court, Osaka was much more straightforward: Nothing inspired it. Vanessa just told me I had to hide my braids. I said, 'Okay, let me hide my braids.' That was pretty much it."

The importance of fashion for Naomi Osaka and her family

"I feel like all girls play with their mothers' clothes. I remember when I was younger I would wear her heels. Even though I have very big feet, so I could only do it until I was about seven years old.

In reality, I enjoyed fashion-related things more with my sister. I would say my sister was more my inspiration because she made me feel there were no limits on what you could wear or about what you could achieve or create."

The supreme importance of the US Open for Naomi Osaka

Osaka admitted that this has probably been one of the nerviest debuts she has felt in New York, a pressure she directly associates with the importance she places on the US Open.

"As you get older, you think that maybe the management of nerves will improve, but I guess not. I felt like I wasn't hitting the shots I wanted. My speed was very low. It's true that she was hitting very flat and hard, and I felt that at times I could only react.

I know there is a much higher level of my tennis than today, and it was a bit disappointing not to be able to show it to everyone. It was actually a pretty tough conversation with Tomasz today. I think we both see the potential of what I could do, and obviously, I want to do very well here.

I think the year has gone well, but I want to make a statement. This is my favorite tournament to make a statement, so I am really putting a lot of pressure on myself.

Coming from Toronto, I had a very tough loss. It was very close against Rybakina, and I just wanted to keep building on that. I think I have to give myself a bit of leeway because it’s the first round and there are still many opportunities."

Strong support from the New York audience for Osaka

"I am very grateful to the audience. It’s probably the only stadium or audience where I really felt bad. I had never played in front of an audience that would applaud when a person hit a serve into the net.

I felt bad, but at the same time, I was a bit happy about it because I had never experienced it on my side. The crowd was super nice and very involved. They made everything feel very alive. I didn’t even realize it was midnight. I really appreciated it a lot."

Osaka and a big room for improvement at the US Open

"I feel like the type of player I am means that the more rounds I play, the better I become. I get really obsessed with the things I should correct. Plus, you are more aware that the deeper you go in the tournament, the better the matches are. There’s less margin for error.

I think that’s the most fun part of playing tennis: honing yourself while the tournament is going on. So I guess I’m ready to play the next round and, hopefully, the one after that."

The impact of Naomi Osaka goes far beyond her athletic performance, being one of the most iconic figures in the tennis world and giving a significant media pull to the US Open 2026. Aware that results are paramount, this commitment to improvement made in the press conference after the first round showcases the determination of the Japanese player to do something great in Flushing Meadows.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Osaka: "Soy muy obsesiva, me presiono demasiado"