VICTORIA MBOKO WINS THE NATIONAL BANK OPEN \ud83e\udd29\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6#OBN25<\/a> | @OBNmontreal<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SOa3RN2vLb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n While Mboko delivered a heartfelt speech thanking Osaka for \u201can incredible match\u201d and calling her an idol, Osaka\u2019s comments<\/a> to the Montreal crowd lasted under 30 seconds. She thanked her team, ball kids, organizers, and volunteers, but made no mention of her opponent.<\/p>\n Naomi Osaka after losing to Victoria Mboko in Montreal final<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really wanna take up too much time. I\u2019ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, & volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.\u201d<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/2FG17imqmK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really wanna take up too much time. I\u2019ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, and volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n What Did Osaka Say About Not Congratulating Mboko on Court?<\/p>\n The short speech drew sharp criticism from fans online, especially after Osaka was also handed a code violation during the match for hitting a ball into the stands in frustration. She skipped the post-match press conference, but through a statement to the WTA, she later admitted<\/a> she had forgotten to congratulate Mboko and praised her performance, saying:<\/p>\n \u201cThis morning I was very grateful. I don\u2019t know why my emotions flipped so quickly, but I\u2019m really happy to have played the final. I think Victoria played really well. I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. Yeah, I mean, she did really amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Osaka\u2019s more personal and public acknowledgment came later on Threads. She admitted she was \u201cin a daze\u201d after the loss and trying to avoid repeating past trophy-ceremony mishaps, which led her to cut her speech short without acknowledging her opponent\u2019s milestone victory.<\/p>\n MORE: Victoria Mboko Makes Her Feelings Clear on Naomi Osaka Refusing Press Conference After Canadian Open Loss<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThanks Montreal it\u2019s been a really great run. I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realize I didn\u2019t congratulate you on the court. Honestly I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny\/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY,\u201d she wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The \u201cIW 2018\u201d reference recalled her awkward, self-deprecating speech after winning Indian Wells, while the \u201cJenny\/Jennifer\u201d nod pointed to her 2021 Australian Open slip when she mistakenly addressed finalist Jennifer Brady by the wrong name.<\/p>\n Both Osaka and Mboko have since withdrawn from this week\u2019s Cincinnati Open following their grueling Montreal campaigns, despite earning performance byes into the second round.<\/p>\n![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/what-did-naomi-osaka-say-08-09-25-300x198.png\")
Naomi Osaka via Threads<\/p>\n