**Naomi Osaka Reveals Painful Blisters and Anxiety After 2025 French Open Exit**
Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, shared a raw glimpse into her physical and mental struggles following her first-round loss to Paula Badosa (6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4) at the 2025 French Open on May 26, 2025, per tmz.com. Displaying severe blisters on her knuckles via Instagram Stories on May 29, Osaka admitted she “genuinely cannot bend these fingers all the way,” linking the injury to clay-court friction since the Italian Open, per people.com. Despite contemplating a tennis break, her anxiety compelled her to train the next day, highlighting her ongoing mental health challenges, which resonate with the resilience of athletes like Aryna Sabalenka and Holger Rune.
**Osaka’s Blister Injury and Physical Toll**
Osaka’s Instagram post showcased open blisters on her right hand, a recurring issue from the Italian Open (May 12, 2025), where clay’s grip intensified friction, per nbcnews.com. During her match against Badosa, she took a medical timeout after the first set to address the blisters, which contributed to her 54 unforced errors and five double faults, per thescore.com. She noted, “I don’t have blisters on any other surface,” underscoring clay’s unique challenge for her hard-court-oriented game, per bbc.com. Her 103.20 average (PDC-style metrics) couldn’t overcome Badosa’s consistency, per rolandgarros.com.
**Anxiety and Reluctance to Pause**
In a follow-up Instagram Story, Osaka shared a photo of her sneakers on a green court, writing, “Me: ‘I’m sick of this, I’m gonna take a break for a while.’ Me a day after my match because I have anxiety if I don’t work out,” per eonline.com. This candid admission reflects her history of mental health struggles, including her 2021 French Open withdrawal due to “huge waves of anxiety” and depression, per apnews.com. Osaka’s fear of disappointing others, particularly coach Patrick Mouratoglou, was evident in her tearful press conference: “He goes from working with the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to… what the f— this is?” per nytimes.com. Her anxiety-driven return to training mirrors her 2021 post-withdrawal break, which ended with the Tokyo Olympics flame-lighting, per nytimes.com.
**French Open Context and Emotional Weight**
Osaka’s emotional exit, marked by tears and a brief press conference walkout, recalled her 2021 Roland Garros standoff over media obligations, per nbcnews.com. Ranked No. 49, she hasn’t advanced past a major’s third round since her 2021 Australian Open title, per bbc.com. Her 2024 French Open near-upset of Iga Swiatek showed promise, but 2025’s early loss intensified self-doubt, per nytimes.com. Osaka’s recent split with Cordae, father of her daughter Shai, and traumatic childbirth experience added personal strain, per theblast.com. Her L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo win on May 8, her first WTA title since 2021, offered hope, per eonline.com.
**Parallels to Other Athletes**
Osaka’s perseverance echoes Sabalenka’s humorous Djokovic pep talk about her goddaughter, balancing levity and focus, per @TheTennisLetter. Rune’s clash with an “embarrassing” fan, downplayed by Guy Forget, reflects handling external pressure, per express.co.uk, welovetennis.fr. Like Coco Gauff’s Alcaraz DM anecdote, Luke Littler’s darts vow, and Emma Raducanu’s ball-weight struggles, Osaka’s candidness about blisters and anxiety shows grit, per sportskeeda.com, express.co.uk, bbc.com. Evert’s Zverev misstep further highlights public scrutiny, per thetennisgazette.com.
**Conclusion**
Naomi Osaka revealed debilitating blisters and anxiety-driven training after her 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4 French Open loss to Paula Badosa on May 26, 2025, per tmz.com, people.com. Her physical pain, tied to clay since the Italian Open, and mental strain, rooted in fear of disappointing others, underscore her challenges, per nbcnews.com. Like Sabalenka’s humor, Rune’s defiance, Gauff’s levity, Littler’s ambition, and Raducanu’s persistence, Osaka’s resilience shines. Her next event is unclear, but Wimbledon looms, live on ESPN.
