Naomi Osaka eliminated from Olympic Games tennis tournament
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Czech 42nd-ranked Marketa Vondrousova (L) shakes hands with Japan's Naomi Osaka after their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's singles third round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
Naomi Osaka was eliminated from the Olympics Games after losing her Tokyo tennis tournament match 6-1, 6-4 in the third round to Czech Marketa Vondrousova on Tuesday.
Of note: Japan's Osaka is the women's world No. 2, while is Vondrousova ranked No.42.
What they're saying: Osaka said after the game: "I'm disappointed in every loss, but I feel like this one sucks more than the others."
- Vondrousova paid tribute to Osaka, telling reporters: "It's tough for her also playing in Japan and in the Olympics. It's so much pressure, I cannot imagine."
The big picture: This was Osaka's first Games, and she described the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron to formally kick off the event as "undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and honor I will ever have in my life."
- Osaka, who was born in Japan and grew up in the U.S., won her first two Tokyo Games matches after returning to tennis following a mental health break.
- Her withdrawals from the French Open and Wimbledon Grand Slam tournaments triggered global conversations about mental health in sports.
Go deeper: Full Axios Olympics coverage
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
