Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu are set to face off against each other at the ongoing Mubadala Citi DC Open. As the tennis stars gear up for their upcoming clash, Osaka recently shared that she ‘feels sad’ about the Brit’s struggles with stalkers.
Raducanu, who skyrocketed to fame in 2021 after winning the US Open, has dealt with multiple stalkers. Shortly after her maiden Grand Slam victory, a man named Amrit Magar began visiting the 22-year-old’s family home, which subsequently led to a five-year restraining order. Earlier this year, the Brit was reduced to tears during the Dubai Tennis Championships when she spotted a different stalker in the crowd.
During her press conference at the Citi DC Open, Naomi Osaka reflected on Emma Raducanu’s struggles with stalkers, saying,
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“I mean, honestly, I feel like for her, it must be really tough, because I read online, like, she had a stalker. I don't know if it's allowed to say out loud. I don't really know. I saw in Dubai or something there was -- honestly, I really feel sad for her, because that video was, like, one of the most saddest videos I've ever seen.
“I just hope she has a lot of really good people around her. I think that there must be a lot of pressure from -- I don't know how British media is, but they don't really seem the kindest. I think she's navigating it really well,” the Japanese tennis star added.
Osaka and Raducanu have never played each other before, and their upcoming clash in Washington will mark the first time their paths cross.
Naomi Osaka shares her approach to the hard court season
Naomi Osaka got her campaign at the Citi DC Open off to a strong start. The 27-year-old faced off against Yulia Putintseva for her first round match, and claimed a 6-2, 7-5 victory to move forward.
As she gears up for her upcoming matches, Osaka shared how she's approaching the hard-court season that lies ahead, saying,
“I think I'm the type of person that I always feel like everyone else is really good, and sometimes that puts a lot of doubt in myself. But the other day I was trying to tell myself that I won a couple of slams on this surface for a reason, so I need to believe in myself a lot more. Yeah, I guess I'm trying to see where that mentality takes me.”
Naomi Osaka has won four Grand Slams over the course of her career, and each of these has been on hard courts. After winning her maiden Major at the 2018 US Open, she went on to repeat the feat in 2020. She also won the Australian Open titles in 2019 and 2021.
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