Raducanu swept aside Osaka, revealing her intention not to speak with her and sharing her reasons for not wanting to make friends, which is quite poignant.

Following the match with British player Raducanu, many were indeed disappointed with the performance of former world number one Naomi Osaka!

Before the match, predictions from the outside world indicated that Osaka had a significant chance of winning this Grand Slam champion showdown. The reasoning was that hard courts are her forte! Perhaps she lacked confidence in defeating Raducanu on other surfaces, but when it came to her preferred hard court, the former world number one was undoubtedly seen as the more reliable player.

Before the match, Raducanu mentioned that she and Osaka were experiencing very similar situations, both desperately seeking ways to return to their peak form. At the same time, the British player emphasized that Osaka is more mature than she is. The implication being that if she were to lose, it would be due to her inexperience compared to the former world number one.

It’s likely that Raducanu understood how difficult it would be to defeat Osaka, which prompted her to prepare thoroughly beforehand, ultimately leading to a victory of 6-4 and 6-2 in this Grand Slam clash, completely overturning the external predictions against her.

“I knew I had to control my service games, and I felt very proud of that. Once I adapted to her serving strategy, I gradually took control of the match. If I could hit high-quality shots on my second serve, Osaka would certainly make errors, and I had to trust my serving ability and go for it, which paid off.” From Raducanu’s remarks after the match, it’s clear she did a lot of homework regarding Osaka before the match. Being well-prepared and knowing the weaknesses of the former world number one allowed her to maintain control of the match and not give Osaka a chance to turn things around, making her victory a natural outcome.

After the match, many expressed disappointment in Osaka, not merely because she lost to Raducanu and failed to meet expectations, as it is quite normal for the prepared to win, but because the performance of the former world number one was somewhat lackluster.

For instance, she committed seven double faults while Raducanu only had one; she managed 19 winners but also accumulated a staggering 38 unforced errors; although she recorded five aces, which seemed impressive, Raducanu’s four aces diminished that advantage.

With such a performance from Osaka, it was undoubtedly challenging to win against a Raducanu who was both in form and confident.

The British player also openly stated post-match that she always believed she could perform better, and it was this confidence, coupled with improved serving control, that allowed her to decisively defeat Osaka and emerge victorious.

After the match, there was an interesting question raised in the media, suggesting that Raducanu compared her current state to that of Osaka before the match, giving the impression of mutual respect as former US Open champions, leading to speculation that their relationship must have been quite good previously.

However, someone dug up a surprising statement made by Raducanu before the match.

“I have never spoken to Naomi Osaka, nor do I plan to.” After this quote surfaced, fans and netizens teased the British player, wondering why she continued to play hard against the Japanese player even when she was struggling; it turns out that mutual respect is genuine, but she never intended to be friends with Osaka, explaining why Raducanu appeared to be a cold and ruthless competitor.

In fact, when Raducanu made this statement, it initially sounded like she was being aloof, but it actually aligns with her consistent mindset: she doesn’t intend to make friends on the tour!

“I have real friends at home whom I can trust and confide in. I find it much harder to engage fully when competing against acquaintances.” In Raducanu’s view, she prefers to place her trust and emotions in family and friends in her personal life rather than in friends on the tour.

To elaborate, the British player provided a rather poignant reason, stating, “I think it’s really difficult to open up to those you’re competing against on the tour.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean Raducanu has no friends on the tour at all. The British player revealed that she has a few friends with whom she has good relationships, but every time she competes against them, it makes her feel quite uncomfortable, “It’s hard to focus and play the tennis I want.”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Starry Sky)