Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka didn’t hold back when responding to a troll online who called her a “fluke.” The Japanese player shared a sharp response on her Instagram story directed at that person:
“I just saw someone call me a fluke,” Osaka wrote on Threads. “How is it possible to be a fluke with four Grand Slams, lighting the Olympic torch, beating multiple top 20 opponents, and being close to the top 50 the year after giving birth? You couldn’t even touch one of my accomplishments with her fingernail.”
Osaka later shared the post on her Instagram story with the caption, “Did I lieeeee????” This response came just two days after she had to retire mid-match against Coco Gauff due to a back injury in the Round of 16 at the 2024 China Open.
The 26-year-old star made her return to the tennis court in January after a 15-month hiatus following the birth of her first child and is currently ranked No. 75 in the world. She has faced challenges this year, experiencing several early exits in tournaments, including a first-round elimination from the Paris Olympics.
In Grand Slam events this year, she lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Caroline Garcia, and in the second round of both the French Open (to Iga Swiatek) and Wimbledon (to Emma Navarro). She also failed to advance past the second round in the US Open, losing to Karolina Muchova.
Naomi Osaka is working with Patrick Mouratoglou
Osaka is looking to turn things around ahead of the next season. To facilitate this change, she has hired Patrick Mouratoglou as her new coach. Mouratoglou previously worked with Serena Williams for over ten years. The 2024 China Open marked their first tournament together.
“I think I’m at a stage in my life that I don’t want to have regrets. I’d rather pull the trigger on something and I don’t want to say ‘fail’, but I feel like I really need to learn as much as possible in this stage of my career,” she said after winning the first round.