Coco Gauff, who shared an emotional on-court interview with Osaka after falling to her at the 2019 US Open, echoed Stephens's comments.
Osaka, 21, said she lacked maturity when as a relative unknown player she won the tournament last year to kick off her meteoric rise through the rankings.
Osaka became the first Japanese tennis player to win the Australian Open and the first Asian player to claim the world number one ranking.
Aryna Sabalenka took a step closer to a first trophy of the year before her Australian Open title defence begins later this month.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday the Olympic torch relay scheduled in the city of Osaka has been cancelled amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
In a rematch of their tumultuous 2018 US Open decider, Osaka underlined her status as the new queen of women's tennis and soaked up the cheers from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as fans returned to the Grand Slam after a five-day lockdown.
IMAGES from US Open women's final played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at the Flushing Meadows in the Queens borough of New York City on Saturday.
'Having that chance to represent people that might not think that they could be represented, that's a really important goal of mine'
Following a whirlwind few years, Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka can be forgiven for taking time to reset and relax as the sporting world goes on an indefinite pause due to the coronavirus crisis. Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam winner who also became the first Japanese player to reach world number one, had been preparing for another action-packed summer including her Olympics debut on home soil at Tokyo 2020.
Naomi Osaka not only wants to win Grand Slams and hoist trophies but also hopes to be a role model in the way she carries herself on court, her coach Wim Fissette said.
Opelka, Kyrgios included in Team World for Laver Cup.
Naomi Osaka's management team told Reuters via email that she would be participating at Flushing Meadows.
Images from Day 9 of the 2020 US Open in New York, on Tuesday.
Naomi Osaka ended Victoria Azarenka's dream run to claim her second US Open title in three years with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback win on Saturday which cemented her status as the sport's leading light both on and off the court.
The board reminded Osaka that 'a core element of the Grand Slam regulations is the responsibility of the players to engage with the media'
Japan's Naomi Osaka said on Sunday that while she has spent her entire life waiting to compete at the Olympics, the risks of holding the Tokyo Games amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic should continue to be carefully discussed.
A fan favourite, Naomi Osaka has struggled with uneven play since she withdrew from Roland Garros earlier this year amid a public row with tournament officials over required media appearances.
The torches that will carry the Olympic flame for the 2026 Winter Games and Paralympics were unveiled on Monday in Milan and at a parallel event in the Italian pavilion at Expo 2025 in the Japanese city of Osaka.
'How many young people do you know who would be comfortable addressing or being questioned by a roomful of very much older strangers?' 'She (Osaka) is one of a very exciting batch of young female players and I am a big fan of hers. I hope with all my heart that she can find a way of feeling more at home in this sport.'
Naomi Osaka now gets to test her mental strength against a revitalised Victoria Azarenka, who stunned Serena Williams in Thursday's other blockbuster semi-final.
Organisers confirmed Osaka had withdrawn due to a left ankle injury and her opponent Sara Sorribes Tormo will now face lucky loser Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
Venus Williams also went the distance before claiming a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Croatia's Donna Vekic.
Naomi Osaka has decided to put all that turbulence behind her and defend her title at the Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
Naomi Osaka has sacked her second coach in seven months, splitting with Jermaine Jenkins
While her career has featured a number of highs -- she has won two doubles Grand Slam titles and 11 WTA titles, including the Cincinnati Masters -- Garcia said she has become fixated on what she sees as her failures.
The 22-year-old Osaka has been at the forefront of protests from tennis players against racial injustice in the United States.
The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both countries.
Monfils said all players were not similarly equipped to deal with the pressure of being a top athlete.
Osaka said her dominance in the rematch showed how much better she had become at sticking to a plan rather than relying on her instincts.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka reached the last 16 at the Miami Open when Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired injured on Saturday, while men's top seed Alexander Zverev beat Jacob Fearnley 6-2, 6-4 to reach the third round.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe congratulated Osaka on Twitter and thanked her for 'giving Japan a boost of inspiration at this time of hardship'
Osaka will play Jennifer Brady for the title.
Seven times Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton called on Thursday for more support for young athletes and lauded tennis player Naomi Osaka for being 'incredibly brave' for her stance on mental health.
Naomi Osaka turned designer for the New York fashion week.
'I'm writing this to say I'm not going to do any press during Roland Garros,' Osaka tweeted
Osaka lost her number one ranking and crashed out at Wimbledon in the first round to Yulia Putintseva.
Angelique Kerber produced a stunning display of defensive tennis to see off the big-hitting Naomi Osaka 6-4 5-7 6-4 in a classic Red Group encounter between the last two Grand Slam champions at the WTA Finals on Wednesday. The victory evens up Kerber's record at 1-1 in round robin play as Osaka slumped to her second straight defeat at the season ending event, leaving the U.S. Open champion on the brink of elimination from the eight-woman tournament.
Jannik Sinner begins his Australian Open title defence against Nicolas Jarry while women's champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on 2017 U.S. Open winner Sloane Stephens
Mithali Raj said that she has never felt the need to forego a press conference
Naomi Osaka said she had spent a lot of time during the coronavirus shutdown thinking about how she wanted to approach her tennis.
