Naomi Osaka suffered a disappointing fourth-round exit at the 2025 Italian Open after falling to unseeded Peyton Stearns. Despite delivering a gritty effort, Osaka wasn’t content with the outcome and shared a brief yet harsh reaction after the loss.
Naomi Osaka Voices Frustration After Unexpected Italian Open Fourth–Round Exit
Osaka started the clay-court season with a disappointing first-round exit in Madrid but turned the tide at the WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo, clinching her first title of any kind since the 2021 Australian Open.
Osaka then shifted her focus to the WTA 1000 event in Rome and progressed steadily, defeating Sara Errani, Viktorija Golubic, and Marie Bouzková to reach the fourth round. The four-time major champion lost the first set 4-6 but made a stunning comeback in the second, clinching it 6-3.
However, the American, who had edged out reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys in a tight third-round battle, beat Osaka in a deciding-set tiebreak, 7-6(4). Stearns also became the first player in the Open Era to win back-to-back matches in Rome via final-set tiebreaks.
The former World No. 1 wasn’t happy with her performance and vented her frustration on Threads, writing:
“Atrocious”
View on Threads
Notably, after her first-round loss in Madrid, Osaka made a candid admission, saying she ‘wouldn’t wish what goes on in her brain on her worst enemy.’ However, she swiftly moved past the setback and shared a positive message later.
Naomi Osaka’s Eight-Match Winning Streak Ended After Italian Open Exit
Another concerning update for Osaka emerged after her fourth-round loss to Stearns in Foro Italico. The former World No. 1 was on an eight-match winning streak before her Italian Open exit, courtesy of her dominant run in Saint-Malo earlier this month.
The 27-year-old clinched her maiden clay-court title after a strong campaign that saw her overcome Petra Marcinko, Diane Parry, Elsa Jacquemot, and Leolia Jeanjean, before outsmarting Kaja Juvan in the final. Osaka even shared an emotional message after the win.
“Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst. That’s one of my favorite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve. Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful,” she wrote on Instagram.
She followed it up by winning three straight matches in Rome, before falling to Stearns. Nonetheless, Osaka aims for a comeback at the 2025 French Open, where she gave a tough fight to the eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the second round last year.
