Tennis fans around the world were left stunned by Naomi Osaka’s runner-up speech after her loss to Victoria Mboko in the Canadian Open final in Montreal.
The former World No. 1 delivered what many called a shockingly brief and cold speech that completely ignored her opponent’s historic victory. Osaka’s failure to acknowledge Mboko’s achievement sparked fierce debate about her lack of sportsmanship.
Naomi Osaka’s Shocking Speech at Canadian Open Divides Tennis Fans
Osaka’s post-match speech after losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Mboko in the Montreal final was notably brief and avoided any mention of her opponent’s victory.
Speaking to the crowd, Osaka said: “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.”
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
The speech lasted less than 30 seconds and made no reference to her teenage opponent’s first WTA 1000 title achievement. This stood in striking contrast to Mboko’s gracious winner’s speech, where she specifically thanked Osaka, saying, “I wanna thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her.”
The match itself proved frustrating for Osaka, who started strongly by winning the first set 6-2. However, momentum shifted dramatically in the second set as the Canadian crowd rallied behind their home favorite. Osaka’s play became increasingly erratic, with unforced errors mounting as she struggled to handle the hostile atmosphere.
She received a code violation for hitting a ball into the stands in frustration after a double fault on break point. The third set saw a complete collapse from Osaka, who appeared to be “dissociating during the match,” according to observers. Her negative body language and series of mistakes handed further momentum to Mboko, who capitalized to secure a stunning 6-1 final set victory.
The loss was particularly painful for Osaka, who was seeking her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open. At 27 years old and having returned from maternity leave, this represented a golden opportunity to claim her eighth career title. Instead, she became part of Mboko’s fairytale story as the 18-year-old Canadian became just the third player to win the tournament on home soil in the Open Era.
Fans React to Osaka’s On-Court Speech
Tennis fans on social media were quick to point out that Osaka’s behavior was “extremely unprofessional” and deserving of a fine for poor sportsmanship.
“No congratulations to Mboko! Poor sportsmanship Naomi Osaka.”
No congratulations to Mboko! Poor sportsmanship Naomi Osaka
— ELLE66 (@ROSIERED81) August 8, 2025
One fan wrote: “You gotta feel for her but this is not how things are done, pretty much tennis protocol congratulating your opponent.”
You gotta feel for her but this is not how things are done, pretty much tennis protocol congratulating your opponent.
— Fa 🪩 (@strudeldulce) August 8, 2025
Another fan pointed out that Osaka didn’t say anything about Mboko in her speech.
A fan took notice of the unusual speech by Osaka: “That was a very interesting & almost angry short speech from Naomi Osaka…Started with… “Thanks I guess”…. ended with “I hope you guys had a good night.”
Although a fan acknowledged Osaka’s bitter feeling, they wrote: “You know better than that.”
I know you’re bitterly disappointed Naomi, but you know better than that, c’mon! 😔
— Jess Reynolds 🪩✨🫶🏼 (@_jess_reynolds_) August 8, 2025
“She didn’t want to give a speech, looks devastated. She should have congratulated her opponent that doesn’t mean she’s a bad person.”
She didn’t want to give a speech, looks devastated. She should have congratulated her opponent that doesn’t mean she’s a bad person
— Jt05 (@josuethe7) August 8, 2025
One fan watched the after-match moments closely and wrote: “She left the court after the match. Someone came and got her almost by force to come to the ceremony. Ugly attitude.”
Osaka’s Canadian Open final speech has ignited widespread debate about sportsmanship. By completely ignoring Mboko’s achievement, she drew sharp criticism from fans around the world.
The loss marked a significant setback for the four-time Grand Slam champion as she sought to reclaim her status following her return to the tour.
A more fresh and recent recall is how Sabalenka responded to Coco Gauff’s victory which was quite dismissive. And then tried to do another Take 2; no matter how many times Sabalenka tries clean up on aisle 6, she seems to be headed towards another aisle. REGARDLESS, CONGRATS MBOKO! VICTORIOUS VICTORIA!
Osaka has been on the other side of the equation, when Serena behaved so badly, ruining the young Naomi’s triumph. I thought the memory of that would have enabled her to swallow her disappointment and be more gracious to a young player, who was not responsible for the crowd’s reaction. her speech and demeanour were an unpleasant surprise