Naomi Osaka loses to 18-year-old, 144th-ranked Mia Pohankova at Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo

Naomi Osaka lost to Mia Pohankova at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Pohankova is 18 years old and ranked 144th in the world. Al Jazeera and The Japan Times both reported the result. Both outlets said Osaka started the match well before Pohankova took control.

Match details

According to Al Jazeera, the score was 6-3, 7-5. The second-round match was played on Thursday. Al Jazeera reported that the loss ended Osaka's season.

Osaka opened the match with an ace, according to Al Jazeera. Pohankova then broke Osaka's serve three times in the first set. She hit seven aces in the match, the outlet reported.

The Japan Times report reviewed by Vocemundi consists only of a headline and a one-line summary. The score and round could not be compared between the two outlets.

The players

According to Al Jazeera, Osaka is 29 and ranked 18th in the world. She is a four-time Grand Slam champion and a former world number one. She has not won a title this year. She has not reached a Grand Slam final since returning after a 15-month break. That break followed the birth of her daughter, Shai, in 2023. Al Jazeera said she was playing the Pan Pacific Open for the first time in four years.

Pohankova is from Slovakia and is a former junior Wimbledon champion, according to Al Jazeera.

What each side says

Al Jazeera quoted Osaka as saying: "Obviously when I play a slam, it’s in my mind to challenge for it." She was also quoted as saying: "Unfortunately, I haven’t been in that position yet, and I’m going to keep attempting it." And: "But if you’re asking me how I think my tennis is, I think it’s pretty good." According to Al Jazeera, she said she is at peace with herself.

Osaka said it was "tricky to play someone that I know nothing about", according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also quoted her as saying: "It is a little difficult, but I also remember when I was in her position and I was playing players that I watched on TV." Al Jazeera further quoted her: "I guess age catches up to you eventually."

Osaka wore a red kimono-style gown for the match. According to Al Jazeera, she said she chose the colour as a contrast to the blue crane-pattern outfit from her opening match. She said she had more outfits prepared for the Tokyo crowd that she will now not wear. Al Jazeera quoted her as saying: "There are so many things that go on in my mind, and it was just a creative outlet." She added: "All the other sports are allowed to do that, and tennis is more subdued and restrained."

Pohankova said she grew up watching Osaka, according to Al Jazeera. The reports do not include direct quotes from Pohankova. They also do not describe the setting in which Osaka made her remarks.

Elsewhere in the draw

According to Al Jazeera, Canada's Leylah Fernandez reached the quarterfinals. She beat fifth seed Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-2, 7-6 (10/8).

Analysis

The result pairs a highly ranked former champion with a teenager outside the top 100, a contrast that draws attention but does not by itself show a longer trend for either player. Osaka's own remarks point in two directions: confidence in her level and an acknowledgment that she has not yet contended for a major since her return. One scenario is that the off-season allows her to build on that stated confidence; another is that results continue to lag her assessment. The reports do not describe her plans for next season. For Pohankova, a win over a former world number one may raise her profile, though one match offers limited evidence.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.