Naomi Osaka publicly apologized to Victoria Mboko over the Montreal speech controversy as the 27-year-old insists she was in "a daze" and wanted to keep it short because she didn't want to make some comments that she would regret later.
After losing the WTA 1000 Montreal final from a set up, the former world No. 1 delivered only a couple of words, pretty much only thanking the tournament organizers and her team. One thing she didn't mention in her short speech was Mboko.
Before the final, a reporter told Osaka that she was Mboko's idol and the Japanese absolutely loved it. So when the four-time Grand Slam champion failed to congratulate the 18-year-old on her big day on the court, she instantly started drawing major criticism and backlash over a "not classy" act.
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Osaka apologizes to Mboko through a Threads post
"Thanks Montreal it's 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't 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," the 27-year-old wrote on Threads.
Following the final, Mboko was asked in her post-match presser how she felt about Osaka and if her views about the Japanese tennis star had changed. The teenage sensation refused to slander her idol, saying that she understood and that everything was fine.
Had Osaka defeated Mboko in the Montreal final, she would have won her first title on the main level since the 2021 Australian Open. Earlier this year, the Japanese also made the Auckland final but didn't claim the main glory after an injury forced her to retire against Danish tennis star Clara Tauson.
