Osaka explains herself after racket throw in Miami: "I don't like being known for that"
Osaka overcame world No. 98 Hailey Baptiste in a hard-fought three-set match (7-6, 3-6, 6-4). The Japanese player had to recover from a break down in the third set.
Trailing 2-4, the four-time Grand Slam champion vented her frustration by throwing her racket. Osaka addressed the incident during the post-match press conference:
"Yes, today was an emotional day for me. I mentioned that I felt a bit embarrassed about throwing my racket—it's not something I want to be known for. So I’m really sorry to Yonex about that."
The world No. 61 also reflected on her attitude throughout the match:
"But I also feel like I was trying to stay very positive and vocal. I might have been a little annoying to her in that regard too. I felt like I needed to do that to, I think, push myself to keep going. From that perspective, this match was really tough."
Osaka will face Paolini in the round of 16.
Miami