Naomi Osaka found a positive way to look at her US Open campaign despite facing strong criticism for her outfits during the tournament. The four-time Grand Slam champion received a lot of attention at Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, not all of it came from her tennis.

Her outfits also became a major topic online. After losing to Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals, Osaka spoke about her critics on her official Threads account. She made it clear that she would not change herself just because some people disliked her choices.

“You know… idgaf if you don’t like me,” Osaka wrote on Threads. “I don’t mind being the first to do something and getting trashed for it.”

In the same Thread, she also linked the criticism to the way people reacted when she spoke about other personal issues.

“This happened when I talked about mental health and for some reason it’s happening with my clothes lol,” Osaka wrote. “I’m literally Haitian it’s in my blood to be this way, as long as the people after me have an easier path it’s worth it.”

Osaka’s response showed that she sees criticism as part of being herself. That mindset became even more important after her quarterfinal loss.

Instead of only thinking about the defeat, Osaka chose to focus on the good things she took from her US Open campaign.

Osaka sees progress beyond the quarterfinal loss

Earlier, Naomi Osaka also talked about a positive mindset after her loss, as reported by the ESPN News Service on September 08, 2026. The former world No. 1 did not see the result as a big setback.

“I’m honestly not disappointed now. It’s a very strange feeling,” Osaka said, via ESPN. “And last year, I wasn’t that disappointed either. Amanda [Anisimova] just played really insane. Maybe I’m just getting older, but I don’t feel sad.”

Osaka said she was learning to deal with losses in a different way. She was also trying to learn more from difficult moments instead of only focusing on the result.

“I think I am happy that I’m taking losses differently,” Osaka said. “I’m trying to learn from them a lot more.”

For Osaka, the bigger picture was more important than the result. She looked at her daughter’s health, her family’s wellbeing and the chance to play at another Grand Slam. These things helped her stay positive.

Osaka missed the chance to win a fifth Grand Slam title. Still, she showed that she can compete against the best players on the WTA Tour. She also had good moments on all three surfaces this season.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

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