Naomi Osaka lost at the Australian Open, then immediately said she's going to delete Instagram and Twitter
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Will Martin
Jan 21, 2022, 19:07 IST
Naomi Osaka leaves the court after losing to America's Amanda Anisimova in the third round of the 2022 Australian Open.Robert Prange/Getty Images
Naomi Osaka was knocked out of the Australian Open by an unseeded American Friday.
New Jersey-native Amanda Anisimova beat reigning champion Osaka in three sets in Melbourne.
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Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was knocked out of the Australian Open in the third round Friday, losing in three sets to unseeded American Amanda Anisimova.
Osaka, who returned to major tennis at the Australian Open after a substantial break in 2021 to address her mental health, fought hard against her 20-year-old New Jersey-born opponent, taking the first set 6-4, before succumbing 6-3 in the second, and finally losing the third 7-6 in a tie break.
Immediately after the match, Osaka told reporters that her first step when she got back to the dressing room and checked her phone would be to get rid of several social media apps.
"I mean to me it's always a tennis match, you know what I mean? I feel like the outside stuff comes after," she said after being asked about her feelings towards her losses frequently becoming headline news.
"The first thing that I'll probably do when I look at my phone is delete Instagram and Twitter, and then I probably won't redownload it for a couple of weeks.
"To me it's exciting. Not the loss itself, but, like the person I lost to, because it's like showing the growth of tennis. I feel like now I'm in this position where if I lose to someone, it might make a headline, but I also think it kind of grows more superstars, and I feel like that's good for the game."
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Speaking after the victory over two-time Australian Open champion Osaka, Anisimova said: "Naomi is an absolute champion so I knew I had to really step up my game.
"I think I started doing that in the second set. I'm so grateful I was able to play so well today and get this win. It means a lot."
Anisimova's road through the Australian Open doesn't get any easier after defeating Osaka. She faces world number one and home favorite Ash Barty in the next round.
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