Osaka admits she noticed what some were saying about her following the controversy in her US Open final against Williams.

Naomi Osaka admits she had a very tough night after becoming a Grand Slam champion at the 2018 US Open as she started crying heavily after seeing some of the comments that were made about her following her final win over Serena Williams.

If you remember well, the 2018 US Open final featured one of the biggest tennis controversies in the 21st century after chair umpire Carlos Ramos hit Williams with a warning for coaching and the American fiercely defended herself. After arguing the call and demanding an apology and even claiming at one point that she was treated differently just because she was a woman, Williams was slapped with a game penalty and Osaka went on to complete a 6-2 6-4 win for her first Grand Slam title.

What was expected to be a big day for then-20-year-old Osaka, was overshadowed by the on-court drama. But while Osaka didn’t have any part in what happened between Williams and chair umpire Ramos, some pretty insulting words were said about the Japanese too as some claimed that she “undeservedly” won.

And now, Osaka opened up about the situation in a podcast hosted by fellow pro tennis player Caroline Garcia and her boyfriend Borja Duran.

“I went on social media the night after I won. I was reading a lot of people saying that I didn’t deserve to win. I remember I started crying a lot,” Osaka said on the Tennis Insider Club.Naomi Osaka© Getty Images Sport – Matthew Stockman

At this year’s US Open, Osaka will celebrate her sixth anniversary of becoming a Grand Slam champion. But there is one painful thing to it – she has never fully processed and left behind what happened during the 2018 US Open final.

“Honestly, I never really processed it well. I just ignored it and kept moving on with my life,” Osaka admitted.

Osaka cried while Williams was trying to calm down the crowd

The US Open crowd wasn’t happy at all with Ramos and the way in which the match ended and they weren’t shying away from making that clear even after the final was over. When Osaka took the microphone for her on-court speech, she was all but in a celebratory mode.

“I’m gonna sort of differ for your question. I’m sorry. I know everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this. I just wanna say thank you for watching the match,” Osaka said on the court with tears in her eyes.

The US Open crowd then started booing – but it should be noted that those were probably aimed at umpire Ramos rather than the Japanese.

Williams then took the microphone and told the crowd: “I just want to tell you guys, she played well and this is her first Grand Slam. I know you guys were here rooting, and I was rooting, too, but let’s make this the best moment we can. We’ll get through it. Let’s give everyone credit where credit’s due, and let’s not boo anymore. We’re gonna get through this and let’s be positive. Congratulations, Naomi! No more booing!”

Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams© Getty Images Sport – Chris Trotman

Osaka responded to Williams’ message to the crowd by showing major respect and appreciation for the American tennis legend.

“It was always my dream to play Serena in the US Open finals, so I’m really glad that I was able to do that. I’m really grateful I was able to play with you. Thank you,” Osaka said.

It should be noted that never ever Williams blamed Osaka in any way for what happened during their infamous final at Flushing Meadows.

Osaka’s improvement in the mental health aspect and her new perspective

Osaka’s battle with mental health problems is well-documented but the 26-year-old Japanese is now in a much better place than she was a couple of years ago when she took two breaks to address her mental health and when her career appeared to be in jeopardy.

And one of the reasons why Osaka is now doing better is her one-year-old daughter Shai – who has given her a new perspective on her life and career.Naomi Osaka© Getty Images Sport – Dan Istitene

“I didn’t see the worth I had as a human outside of tennis. I would lose a match and feel like my life is meaningless, like the only value I had was winning. I felt like I really needed to take a break to discover what I’m capable of or what I could give to the world. Honestly, the athlete’s life span is so short, it’s not like I’m going to be playing tennis forever, so, I needed to learn how to live in the real world,” Osaka explained.