Naomi Osaka admits she made a big mistake in her defeat against Elise Mertens in Canada

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Naomi Osaka explains what she would have done differently against Elise Mertens at the Canadian Open.

The 27-year-old lost her second match against the Belgian this year and suffered an early exit from the tournament as a result.

The Japanese star was thrilled to return to her beloved hard courts leading up to the US Open, and Osaka secured her first win in Canada in five years after beating Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday.

But the former World number one was unable to overcome the challenge Mertens presented in Canada and her hopes of winning the title have come to a premature end.

What would Naomi Osaka change about her Canadian Open defeat?

Naomi Osaka was very solid from the baseline against Jabeur, but she was rather erratic against Mertens.

She made multiple errors from the baseline and she lamented being unable to play her natural game against the World number 35.

“I feel like I could have put a bit more on the court, a bit more from the baseline shots. I got a bit caught up in the idea of being consistent and staying in the exchanges, I don’t know,” she told reporters.

“It’s always difficult to play against her; you don’t necessarily hit winners straight away, but you have to open up the court.

“Maybe I got into a dynamic of not hitting winners and, yes, perhaps playing a bit more her game. But well, I’m not very upset about it either.”

What positives will Naomi Osaka take from her Canadian Open defeat?

Despite the disappointing defeat, Osaka knows where she went wrong and what she needs to improve ahead of her return to America.

The player is aiming to peak in time for the US Open, where she won two of her four Grand Slam championships.

Results have been tough at times for Osaka during her 2024 comeback, but she is learning more about her game with each match.

“It’s what should have happened throughout the match (laughs). From my point of view, I feel that only at the end of that second set did I really understand the match process, but then I felt like I ran out of time,” she added.

“If we had played more, maybe another set, I think I would have done better, it would have been mine. I don’t know, at the same time, I feel like I haven’t played too many matches this year, despite participating in most of the tournaments I’ve been playing my whole life.

“I’m constantly figuring out new things; I’ve just had a very long conversation with my team, and everyone is quite positive. I’m happy with how I fought despite not winning, but I feel like I learned a lot.”