Former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka experienced a shocking early exit in the Miami Open, losing to World No. 68 Talia Gibson on Friday. The Japanese star struggled to execute her game plan on the court, as Gibson capitalized on her opponent’s mistakes to win the match in straight sets and move on to the next round.
With this loss in Miami, Osaka’s run during the Sunshine Swing has ended prematurely, following her earlier defeat by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Osaka has been having a tough time staying consistent on court, but off the court, her fashion and style continue to attract attention.
Tennis fans didn’t hold back, lashing out and trolling Osaka after her shock second-round exit in Miami, with many stating that the former World No. 1 should focus solely on fashion, as her on-court gameplay is on a downward trajectory this season.
“They talk more about Osaka fashion than her tennis these days. She should probably just focus on fashion,” one fan commented.
“Saying 4-time slam champ for Osaka is misleading. She hasn’t been doing well for a while. lets say 3rd-rounder-at-slams-these-days and fashion queen Osaka :),” another fan commented.
“Osaka wasn’t poor, she was focused on ‘slaying kit’, as her fans ask for, she clearly didn’t know what Talia is, which is a serious lack of professionalism because the girl is climbing rankings since IW,” yet another fan commented.
Other fans continued their criticism of the four-time Grand Slam champion, with one stating that she was no longer a serious threat or contender to win any major tournaments on the WTA circuit.
“Osaka is not a threat to win big tournaments anymore,” one fan commented.
“Osaka out in Miami ?!??! ALREADY ??????? What is happening in Miami this year?” another fan commented.
“No more performance art,” yet another fan commented.
Naomi Osaka’s Next Tournament Remains Uncertain
Osaka commenced her journey this year on the backend of a valiant semifinal run at the 2025 US Open. However, injuries and on-court criticism have hampered her progress this season, as the Japanese has played only four tournaments so far, failing to go beyond the round of 16 in any of them.
She went 1-1 for Team Japan at the United Cup, then withdrew from her round 3 match of the Australian Open due to an abdominal injury, skipped the Middle-East swing, and then produced a lacklustre run in the Sunshine swing.
Now, with the clay-court swing on the horizon, it remains to be seen which tournament will Osaka head towards in hopes of gaining some consistency on court before Roland Garros.
Also read:
Why Does the Miami Open Still Have No Roof? Inside the $500 Million Venue Mystery
Danielle Collins Gives Surprising Reaction To Iga Swiatek’s Heartbreaking Miami Open 2R Loss
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