"Something less than perfection is a disappointment for me" - Naomi Osaka on why she needs to change her way of thinking
Naomi Osaka opened up about her struggles with perfectionism and unhealthy thinking patterns after her win over Marie Bouzkova in the first round of US Open 2021 on Monday.
The Japanese star looked solid in the match, winning it by a scoreline of 6-4, 6-1. But in the build-up to the tournament Osaka had put up a social media post talking about self-deprecation and the problems that come with it, and in her presser on Monday she elaborated further on that.
The 23-year-old claimed that going forward, she would like to celebrate her achievements a little more and be kinder to herself. When asked if she was approaching the US Open with a new mindset, Osaka asserted she just wants to give her best and be happy with that.
"In this tournament, I just want to be happy with knowing that I did my best and knowing that even though I didn't play perfect I was able to win a match in two sets," Osaka said. "Or if I have to battle, play a match in three sets, know that I made a couple mistakes, but it's okay at the end of the day because I'll learn from the matches that I'll keep playing."
The Japanese added that the change she wanted to bring in her thinking was not just restricted to this year's US Open.
"It's not really a tournament thing, it's more like a life thing," Osaka said. "Like I hope I can keep this mindset throughout my life going forward."
The four-time Slam champion further explained how perfectionism can be an obstacle for overachievers and lead to unhealthy thinking patterns.
"I tell people that I'm a perfectionist," Osaka continued. "I think for me something that's less than perfection, even though it might be something great, is a disappointment. I don't really think that's a healthy way of thinking. So something that I really wanted to change."
Naomi Osaka explains why doing a magazine cover is different from a press conference
Naomi Osaka's refusal to do press conferences at Roland Garros this year attracted both positive and negative attention. While many fans and experts lauded her for taking a stand for her mental health, others criticized the decision on the ground that it was a part of her job.
Osaka then appeared on a few magazine covers a month later, which was again questioned by some. But on Monday, the 23-year-old spoke about how the two activities, though media related, are completely different.
"For me I love learning from those experiences because usually when you do Vogue or something, you can meet the designer or meet the head of the house," Osaka said. "That's like a cool experience for me."
"I think press conferences like these, I've become really desensitized to it because I've been doing them since I was really young," she added. "I feel like there are moments, especially like during the Zoom calls, where I just feel like I'm sitting in front of a screen taking questions. It's really hard for me because I like to see people's expressions, especially like when someone joins a Zoom that I don't know and I feel like they're giving me really bad energy. I feel like I have to put multiple guards up. For me doing the magazine stuff and then doing press conferences are two completely different things."