Naomi Osaka is feeling “very starry-eyed” about playing in Wimbledon for the first time in five years. The 26-year-old from Japan has been granted a wildcard for this summer’s tournament, joining Francesca Jones, Ajla Tomljanovic, and Emma Raducanu.
Osaka, who has competed at Wimbledon three times before in 2017, 2018, and 2019, has never advanced past the third round. With four Grand Slam titles under her belt, she is eager to make a strong comeback at SW19 this year. Expressing her surprise and excitement about the wildcard, Osaka posted on Instagram, “Feeling very starry-eyed. Can’t believe I’m here, wow.”
Reflecting on her return, she added humorously, “A lady just asked me when’s the last time I was here because they made some changes. I said 2019 and she chuckled at me.”
Osaka missed the 2023 tournament due to pregnancy and skipped 2022 due to a leg injury. She also took a mental health break in 2021, and the 2020 edition was canceled due to COVID-19. Now, with her sights set on Wimbledon, Osaka aims to add to her US and Australian Open titles despite the tough competition ahead.
Naomi Osaka in 2024
LLWWLWLWWW Currently the world no.111, Osaka played her last match on the 18th of June when she surrendered to world no.8 Qinwen Zheng 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the 1st round in Berlin (draw).
Currently, during this year Osaka achieved a composed 15-12 record.
Naomi Osaka |
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