TOKYO: Naomi Osaka lost 6-3, 7-5 to Slovakian teenager Mia Pohankova in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Thursday, ending her season.
Pohankova recovered from an early two-game deficit and broke Osaka three times in the opening set. She then secured the decisive break in the final game of the second set, completing her victory in one hour and 35 minutes.
The 18-year-old wildcard, ranked 144 in the world, advanced to the quarter-finals. Seventh seed Osaka had beaten Jasmine Paolini in the opening round but could not extend her first appearance at the tournament since 2022.
Despite the defeat, the four-time Grand Slam champion remained confident about her game and her ambition to challenge for major titles again. “I’m going to keep attempting it,” Osaka said.
Now ranked 18, the 29-year-old finished the year without a title. She hasn’t reached a Grand Slam final since returning from a 15-month break after the birth of her daughter, Shai, in 2023.
Osaka described herself as comfortable with where she stood and maintained that she was playing good tennis.
However, she acknowledged the difficulty of facing an unfamiliar opponent. Pohankova, who grew up watching Osaka, struck seven aces during their meeting. Osaka recalled being the younger player once, competing against opponents she knew from television.
Pohankova won the Wimbledon junior singles title in 2025. She won her Tokyo title at a tournament where Osaka lifted the trophy in 2019 and previously reached two other finals.
Elsewhere, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez reached the last eight by beating Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-6, winning the second-set tie-break 10-8.
The tournament is being played at Ariake Coliseum and Ariake Tennis Forest Park, with the singles final scheduled for Sunday. Pohankova faces American Alycia Parks in the quarter-finals.
(With additional input from AFP and the Associated Press)
