N. OSAKA/P. Udvardy
6-2, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Naomi, well played today, strong performance as well. Coming from DC, how did you feel on court?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think it's definitely different conditions, but I feel much better here than I do in DC. I think the court suits me a lot more.
I'm happy that I was able to get my first round win, and I hope that there's many more after that.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. I wanted to ask you about your team, not so much like Tomasz and the other guys there, but more so on the creative side, like Marty, Sebastian, Alex, they kind of help put things together, like for example the cookout. I know Marty and Sebastian are kind of behind, like, the editorial and videos for your slam outfits. Can you speak to how those relationships kind of came about, and how integral those people are to you, not only as business, but as maybe friends as well.
NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, actually I'm not working with Marty anymore. But, I mean, Alex is there, and I'm working with Sebastian too.
But it's definitely, I would say, really important relationships. Because I feel like with them I could, well I usually come at like 2:00 a.m. with something crazy.
Like, that's kind of how the cookout happened. It was literally like the evening before I was like, Hey, do you think the tournament would be okay if we did this. And they were able to work so quickly and make it happen.
So, yeah, that's kind of how the creative stuff works. I feel like it's cool because we get to toss ideas back and forth between each other. I kind of just spit like whatever, and they tell me what's realistic or what could actually work. So, yeah, they're really important to me.
Q. What kind of sparked that shift? I kind of noticed it maybe upon your return from maternity leave, you really gradually put more effort into your look, the hair as well. Was there anything, like, in particular that was, like, maybe I can, like, do something else, or when did that kind of happen for you?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, I think it kind of happened like obviously the French Open, the Pink French Open look that I had, when I played Badosa.
That was kind of the one where I was like, it's actually quite fun to do this, and it's fun to give people moments.
Because I feel like tennis, the tennis that I loved had moments of like, you know, Sharapova, Serena, Venus, and I could just recount all of those. So I kind of liked doing that.
Then we kind of started getting a lot more extreme I think with the Ambush outfit, which was for me a personal favorite because it kind of, I don't know, I haven't seen anyone do like an extreme thing before, and it kind of made me want to keep doing it.
Especially, like, telling stories, and just, I feel like obviously there's the walk on the court, and people can take a photo and like publish it however they want. But for me there's a specific story I have in mind with all of the looks, and that's kind of why we create the way that we do.
Q. As you build towards the US Open, you made the semifinals last year. In the past year, how much did making the semifinals at the US Open kind of reestablish, just to note for yourself that you're capable of making a deep run like that in a major?
NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I mean, that was definitely a really big confidence booster. But it was funny, I was telling Tomasz and my team, like, actually after I lost in the second round of DC last year, I had a team huddle meeting.
I told them that I think that I'm still one of the best players in the world. And then obviously after that we went to the finals with Montreal, and we did really well in the US Open.
So a part of me thinks like I was probably confident going into that slam, and maybe that's why I did well. But it's something that feels really good in my heart because obviously it's my favorite tournament.
Q. You talked about how much you enjoyed the atmosphere post match today. You've been coming to this tournament for several years now, off the court is there any places that you typically frequent, or that you like to do while you're in the city?
NAOMI OSAKA: Strangely, I don't know Toronto that well. I would love to get recommendations.
I don't know, I have a restaurant that I haven't gone to this year, but I went last year, it's called Rhum Corner. It was pretty good, and hopefully it's still open. I think it is.
But, yeah, I don't know, I don't know Toronto as well as I wish I do.
Q. When you first burst onto the scene, you generated huge appeal and attention from Japanese fans in particular. Just wondering, when you see Alex Eala and the interest that she's generating from Filipino fans, I was just curious what you make of it, and what it can do for women's tennis.
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, for me, I think it's great. Like, just now I finished my match and, like, the little go cart was taking me back, and I looked at the practice court and it was completely full. I was like, who is practicing right now? And, well, she didn't even go on court yet. And then I saw the Filipino flags and I was like, um-hum.
But, no, I think it's awesome. Like, they're so kind, too, the fans. Like, I think she's playing late tonight and some of them were on my court cheering for me. I just felt really grateful. So it's so cool that she's building a new community.
And then obviously her fans probably, like, watch tennis enough now to have like other favorites too. So I think it's amazing, and obviously great for the tournament, because she sells a lot of tickets.
Q. You mentioned how you love to tell stories through your outfits. Any first looks or teases as far as like what story you want to tell in New York for the US Open?
NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I think this US Open outfit story is probably like one of my favorites so far. And then obviously everyone knows, like, Nike's doing the whole, like, basketball thing, so that's probably the biggest clue that I can give you.
Q. Basketball is the clue or?
NAOMI OSAKA: Yes.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports