Naomi Osaka can’t have it the easy way, can she? Just when it looked like things were moving in motion in Montreal, the four-time slam queen faced yet another heartbreaking setback. Her campaign in the past week looked nothing short of a dream comeback, especially after back-to-back failures this season. But it appears she’s got to wait for the right time. Why? While Osaka was expected to reign supreme over a teenage sensation and local favorite Victoria Mboko in the Canadian Open final on Thursday night, she failed to do so. More than her defeat, however, it was Osaka’s post-match gesture that has irked fans on social media in last few hours. But what did she do?
Mboko created history in front of a packed home crowd on the Centre Court. Despite trailing in the first set, the youngster didn’t lose her focus. She leveled the fight in the second set before eventually besting the Japanese star in a decider. Mboko won her first-ever WTA 1000 title with a score line of 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Later, post-match moments reflected Osaka’s mindset as she seemed really dejected by her loss against the teenager. So much so that all she could do was list a few customary ‘thank yous’. But it wasn’t the only thing that caught the attention of her critics online.
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.”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2025
Osaka also omitted wishing her opponent Mboko on her massive victory in the final. And this behavior from an experienced WTA pro like Osaka has ended up annoying many tennis lovers. The social media right now is abuzz with fingers pointed at her.
Fans call out Naomi Osaka for lack of sportsmanship
One netizen wrote, “Not gracious in defeat; very uncool.” Meanwhile, another person echoed similar sentiments while calling her “POOR LOSER…..disgusting!” The Canadian Open marked Naomi Osaka’s second crucial final appearance this season. Back in January, she made it to the summit clash of the ASB Classic. However, she couldn’t win that encounter as well, owing to an abdominal injury that forced her to withdraw.
Another fan came forward while criticizing her unpleasant gesture after losing the Canadian Open final. “It’s very disappointing a player of her caliber behaved so ungraciously.” Her not choosing to admire Mboko’s win has really stood out as the most disliked moment from the match. “Not so nice Naomi, coming from a fan of yours… The least you could have done was to congratulate your opponent…”
People can’t stop bringing this aspect to highlight Osaka’s mentality upon losing. “I was hoping that Osaka would have her act together and at least acknowledge her opponents win. Gracious in defeat is part of the game too.”
This story is developing…
The post Naomi Osaka Faces Fiery Backlash for Post-Match Snub After Victoria Mboko’s Montreal Win: “Poor Loser” appeared first on EssentiallySports.