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- The four-time Grand Slam champion said during her press conference early Friday morning that was the worst part about losing to Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals
- Had she been playing in Saturday鈥檚 final, Osaka said the Labubu plush toy would have been patterned after the green skirt she wore last year
NEW YORK: Naomi Osaka鈥檚 last Labubu as the US Open was going to be Osaka herself.
For Osaka, that was the real bummer about losing one match short of the final.
鈥淥h, don鈥檛 make me cry, man,鈥� the four-time Grand Slam champion said during her press conference early Friday morning after her 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 semifinal loss to Amanda Anisimova. 鈥淥h my God, the most devastating question.鈥�
Osaka had been toting a different version of the popular plush toy attached to her racket bag to each of her matches in Flushing Meadows. She gave them catchy names like Billie Jean Bling (for Billie Jean King), Althea Glitterson,鈥� (a tribute to Althea Gibson ) and Arthur Flashe (as in Arthur Ashe, for whom the main US Open stadium is named.)
Had she been playing in Saturday鈥檚 final, Osaka said the Labubu would have been patterned after the green skirt she wore last year at the tournament she won in 2018 and 2020, which included a green bow over the white jacket she entered the court wearing.
鈥淚 would have had the bow, and I鈥檓 sick about it,鈥� Osaka said. 鈥淥h, my God, that鈥檚 like the worst thing. Honestly, I鈥檓 fine losing, but don鈥檛 ask me about this Labubu, man. Yeah, it would have been me.鈥�