Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, has drawn significant criticism after her post-match speech at the 2025 National Bank Open final in Montreal failed to acknowledge or congratulate her opponent, the 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko, who secured her first WTA Tour title with a stunning comeback victory. The omission prompted strong reactions from the tennis community, including reproval from Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert.
The Controversial Post-Match Remarks
Following her 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Victoria Mboko in the Canadian Open final on Thursday, August 7, Naomi Osaka delivered a brief, 30-second speech at the trophy ceremony. Her remarks thanked her team, the ball kids, organizers, and volunteers, concluding with a simple “I hope you guys had a good night.” Notably absent was any mention or congratulation for Mboko, who had just achieved a career-defining win by defeating her childhood idol.
This brevity and oversight quickly ignited a wave of backlash across social media and among tennis commentators, with many questioning Osaka’s sportsmanship. The perceived snub was particularly stark given that Mboko, in her own heartfelt speech, specifically thanked Osaka and spoke of looking up to her.
Brad Gilbert Leads the Criticism
Among the most vocal critics was Brad Gilbert, the seasoned coach known for his work with Coco Gauff. Gilbert took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disapproval, acknowledging Osaka’s struggles with social anxiety but emphasizing the importance of congratulating an opponent. He wrote, “I know Double Osaka struggles with social anxiety but gosh congratulate your opponent especially one that looked upped to you, not mention you just let the last few games going a final.” Gilbert also reportedly expressed disappointment with Osaka’s “deflated attitude” during the final games of the championship match.
Victoria Mboko’s Historic Victory and Idolization of Osaka
Victoria Mboko, an 18-year-old from Burlington, Ontario, made history by becoming only the third Canadian woman in the Open Era to win the Canadian Open. Ranked outside the top 300 at the start of 2025, her meteoric rise included defeating four Grand Slam champions en route to her first WTA 1000 title.
A significant storyline leading into the final was Mboko’s long-standing admiration for Osaka. Reports surfaced of Mboko having idolized Osaka since she was a young girl, making Osaka’s omission particularly poignant for fans.
Osaka’s Apology and Explanation
Amid the mounting criticism, Osaka later addressed the controversy, issuing an apology on her Threads account and in written statements relayed by the WTA. She admitted to forgetting to congratulate Mboko on court, explaining that she was “in a daze” and focused on keeping her speech short to avoid repeating past emotional or nervous public speaking instances, such as her 2018 Indian Wells final speech or Jennifer Capriati’s emotional outburst at the 2001 French Open.
Osaka’s apology read, in part: “Thank you, Montreal. It’s been an incredible few weeks. I also want to apologize and congratulate Victoria. You played a great match and, most importantly, you have a fantastic career ahead of you! I realized I didn’t congratulate you on the court. Honestly, I was stunned and focused on not repeating the same speech I gave at Indian Wells in 2018, so I tried to keep it as brief as possible.”
Mboko’s Gracious Response and Other Defenses
Despite the initial oversight, Victoria Mboko handled the situation with remarkable grace. When asked about Osaka’s speech in her press conference, Mboko stated that she understood and that nothing had changed regarding her admiration for Osaka. “I still think Naomi is an incredible player, and it doesn’t ever change what I think of her. I think she’s still a really nice girl. I still look up to her. Nothing really changes after the match,” Mboko said.
Several figures also came to Osaka’s defense. Rick Macci, former coach of Serena and Venus Williams, urged people to “pump the brakes” on their criticism, suggesting Osaka should be forgiven given the recency of her loss. Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick also defended Osaka, questioning the expectation for players to deliver perfectly polished remarks immediately after a tough, emotional loss. He highlighted Osaka’s generally polite demeanor and suggested that her brevity was perhaps a result of her not being ready to “give a lot” in such a moment.
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