Naomi Osaka Tears Up During Speech After Losing to Victoria Mboko in Montreal Final

Osaka also forgot to congratulate Mboko, but later clarified herself.

It was Osaka's first WTA 1000 final appearance since 2022. / The Tennis Channel / Screensho

Tennis star Naomi Osaka made her grand return to a WTA 1000 final on Thursday night, when she faced 18-year-old Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko in the title match at the National Bank Open. It was her first WTA 1000 final appearance since 2022—a long-awaited return to form for the 27-year-old, who has been struggling on the court for months now.

But although Thursday's appearance was a much-needed step in the right direction, Osaka still ultimately fell short, losing to Mboko in three sets: 6-2, 4-6, 1-6. After the fact, Osaka tearfully addressed the crowd in a curiously brief runner-up speech.

"Thanks, I guess," Osaka began, as fans screamed her name. "I don't really want to take up too much time, so I'll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, thank you to the ball kids, thank you to the organizers and all the volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night."

Naomi Osaka after losing to Victoria Mboko in Montreal final

“I don’t really wanna take up too much time. I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, & volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.”

pic.twitter.com/2FG17imqmK

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2025

The downtrodden remarks were reminiscent of the pro's comments after losing in the third round of Wimbledon in July, when she told reporters she had "nothing positive to say about myself, which is something I'm working on."

Fans were also quick to point out that Osaka said nothing about Mboko in Thursday's speech, despite the 18-year-old having previously made clear her admiration for her opponent. But Osaka later realized that herself, and corrected it.

Although she skipped her presser, Osaka later provided quotes to the media in a Q&A style format, per Montreal Gazette's Harry North. In said remarks, she noted: "This morning I was very grateful. I don't know why my emotions flipped so quickly, but I'm really happy to have played the final.

"I think Victoria played really well. I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. Yeah, I mean she did really amazing, so."

With the win, the rising Mboko has successfully captured her maiden WTA title, catapulting her from 85th to 25th in the world.

"When I had that winning moment and seeing so many people standing up and cheering for me, it was kind of a surreal experience," she said. "I would have never thought something like this would have came so suddenly. It just proves that your dreams are closer than they [seem]."

Mboko later added that she has no ill will toward Osaka for the perceived congratulatory slight.

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