N. OSAKA/E. Mertens
6-1, 6-2
THE MODERATOR: Naomi, congrats on the win. Another strong performance here in Toronto. What gave you an advantage on court today, and what are you most proud of?
NAOMI OSAKA: What gave me an advantage? Honestly, I don't know. Every time I play here it's really tough.
I think today I just focused on controlling what I could control, which was unforced errors, and also serve and return.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. You play Leylah Fernandez next. You've played her twice previously, both three-set matches. What makes her such a difficult opponent, and what do you expect the atmosphere to be like in a couple days for that match?
NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I think it's tough because she's lefty. Obviously there aren't many lefties on tour, so it takes me awhile to get used to that.
I think she has a really good attitude. I've never seen her down. She always keeps fighting. I really appreciate that about her.
Yeah, atmosphere? She's Canadian, so I hope it's a really good one. I hope that it's just fun.
Q. You spoke about motivation at various parts of the year. How are you feeling motivation-wise just at the moment right now?
NAOMI OSAKA: I feel pretty good. Obviously I wish I could have done better in DC, but I felt like maybe I dipped a little.
Now I'm just trying to keep myself up for this swing because we're going into a slam that I really love, and I'm kind of anticipating it a lot.
I don't know. I want to, I guess, go into it feeling really good, which I think I do. But you never know, and there's a lot more matches to be played, so...
Q. You began working with Simone a few years ago to work on your movement. Kind of curious, how do you feel working with her has helped you in that aspect?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, it's helped, but I'm not working with her anymore.
Q. I mean, at the beginning when you guys worked together, did it help?
NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, it helped a lot, just because she's a ballerina. She helped me with lengthening and kind of body posture and all of that.
I always say she reminds me of a cat. Like, she's very springy.
So, I guess, after pregnancy, it helped me so much because I felt like I was so much more aware of my feet.
Q. Earlier in the week you talked a little bit about your fashion choices on court, and how you enjoy that process, that part of it. I think it was in 2020 at the US Open when you actually made a political statement with the changing masks that you wore of black individuals who had been mostly killed by cops. I'm just wondering, is that something you would contemplate doing again, just because of the political divisions in your country especially, or in the U.S., I should say.
NAOMI OSAKA: That was a loaded question (smiling.)
No, I mean, I feel like for me I'm very, like, in my head a lot, and the things that I do are mostly spontaneous. So it's not like I'm ever plotting to do something.
Obviously you see the news and you see everything, and you feel like, how can I make my platform mean something. But, I mean, on the end of, like, would I ever do something like that again, specifically wear masks, no.
Q. Or, I mean, just make a statement or, I don't know.
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, it's hard to say. Like, I can never say no, because if something crazy happens, like, obviously I would feel compelled to speak on it. But as of right now it's not something that's on the forefront of my mind.
Q. Coming back to the two matches that you played against Leylah in the past, one was in 2021, one was in 2025. Feels like both of you in each of those matches were in different phases of your career. What do you see as maybe differences between those two, and what are maybe some of the similarities that have made them tough three-setters?
NAOMI OSAKA: You guys ask me questions like I have the best memory in the world.
I mean, honestly, I'm shocked we've only played twice. I feel like we could have played more, but I think we've just practiced a couple of times. Actually, I practiced with her in DC like a week ago.
But, yeah, I mean, what was tough about it? The first time, obviously I played her in the US Open when I was defending, so that was just like a whole stressful moment for me. I think that was her, like, big break. Like, she got to the finals there, right? And what I remember about her was that she was really gritty in that moment in time.
Then obviously last year was the one that I won. It was really tough. But I also felt like, I don't know, it's like two different moments in time. We both, like, grew as players and as people, so it's really hard to say.
Q. Wondering, when you've practiced with someone recently, and then you end up playing them, does that help you at all, do you take anything from that?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, yes and no. Like, truthfully, I played really bad (laughing). So I hope maybe she thinks that I'll play that bad, and she will be caught off guard (smiling).
I mean, I don't really think so. Like, I'm the type of person that I don't really care about practice, really. So I'm not really out there like swinging fully or anything like that.
But it was good to play her because, like I said, there's not that many lefties on tour. So, yeah, I think it depends on who you ask.
Q. What's the biggest challenge adjusting to a lefty? Is there one shot in particular, or what have you found to be the biggest adjustment when you're playing a lefty?
NAOMI OSAKA: For me, I don't want to tell you, but (laughing). No, I think for everyone it's the serve.
Like even, if I think back on my hardest matches, like Kvitova was so tough for me because her serve was insane. Aside from her being really tall, it just had like that cut. So that's like the hardest thing, it takes awhile to get used to.
Q. Going back to the earlier conversation about US Open. Obviously it's very important to you, how much of it is it like, for lack of a better word, like make or break, like, you doing well at that tournament. Or if, say, maybe things don't go your way, God forbid, will you still be like the same pretty much?
NAOMI OSAKA: I mean, that's a tough one. I think, you know, like if I had to call a tournament home, it would be that one. I put a lot of pressure on myself.
I remember the first year I came back from having my daughter, I have the bow dress, and I played Muchova. I remember I lost that match, and I just sat in the parking lot and I was like bawling my eyes out, just because that tournament meant so much to me, and I just wanted to do well.
Obviously last year I did well, and I wanted to get to the final. But Amanda played insane, so I wasn't even mad about that.
But, yeah, if you're asking me if I put a lot of pressure on myself for that tournament specifically, I do. And usually it goes my way, but God forbid something happens, it will suck, but at least my outfit was good (laughing).
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