Naomi Osaka Looks Fierce and Ready on Grass Courts Ahead of Wimbledon

The pro tennis player will be competing in the Grand Slam for the first time since 2019.

Naomi Osaka / Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports

Just over two weeks ago, Naomi Osaka secured her first win on a grass court since 2019. It was the first round of the Libema Open, and the Japanese tennis professional defeated the higher-ranked Elise Mertens in straight sets.

It was a promising start for the 26-year-old, who is in the midst of her first season back from maternity leave. “I'm kind of taking it as if this is my first year on grass,” she told reporters after the win, revealing her mentality heading into grass court play.

Though Osaka ultimately lost to Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the third round of the Netherlands tournament, she left with two wins on the surface and—likely—some confidence ahead of Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the season and the only major played on grass.

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The athlete was awarded one of a handful of wildcards—which grants entry to the main draw of a tournament to those who are not ranked high enough—for the Wimbledon main draw. She was joined by fellow mom, Caroline Wozniacki, who came out of retirement in 2023 and returned to professional tennis.

With play beginning on July 1, Osaka is locked in. On June 26, the athlete shared a fierce montage on Instagram from her grass court practice sessions ahead of her fourth Wimbledon appearance. The former world No. 1 has only competed in the tournament three times before—in 2017, 2018 and 2019—and has never made it past the third round. This year, in her first season back, she hopes to change that.