‘I was really scared,’ admits Naomi Osaka after Pan Pacific Open win

Naomi Osaka admitted she was ‘really scared’ after watching opponent Daria Saville collapse in pain at the Pan Pacific Open.

Saville had just delivered a cross-court forehand when she fell to the ground yelling “my knee” before continuing to scream in pain.

Osaka immediately came to her aid with a towel and support, but she admits the situation startled her.

“I thought that she was just yelling because she thought her forehand was out, then I realised that she was yelling because she was in pain,” Osaka said.

“Then I got really scared because I felt like as athletes we have a pretty high pain tolerance. It seemed really bad.”

Unsurprisingly, Saville retired after several minutes of medical treatment that handed Osaka a much-needed win. She, though, says it doesn’t really feel like a win.

“Right now, it still feels a bit weird that I just won a match — I feel like I didn’t win a match,” said former US Open and Australian Open champion Osaka, who has lost in the first round at her last three tournaments.

“I guess that I did and I’m progressing through the tournament. I’m not really thinking too much about the final right now.”

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