Naomi Osaka made a stylish entrance on No 1 Court, donning a flowing robe adorned with floral patterns. However, it was her performance on the court that truly captivated the audience, as she convincingly defeated Daria Kasatkina with a score of 6-1, 6-3, marking her first advance to the last 16 at Wimbledon.
“I’ve actually never won on this court, so I’m just really glad to have made a really good memory here. It was a really big honour for me to play, so thank you.” Osaka expressed during her post-match interview. “I definitely felt really good today,”
The 14th seed has experienced a remarkable grass-court season, reaching her inaugural final on this surface in Bad Homburg before an ankle injury forced her to retire. Upon arriving in London, she continued her momentum, achieving straight-sets victories over Elsa Jacquemot and Anastasia Gasanova. This triumph sets the stage for a highly anticipated match against either Aryna Sabalenka, a four-time grand slam champion, or Jelena Ostapenko, a former French Open winner.
From the very start of the match against Kasatkina, against whom Osaka claimed her first WTA title in 2018, the Japanese player showcased her formidable skills. She broke serve in the second game with a powerful backhand winner, quickly establishing a double-break lead. Osaka’s combination of baseline power and precision left Kasatkina, who became an Australian citizen, scrambling to respond as Osaka breezed through the first set in just 28 minutes.
Despite her efforts, Kasatkina employed a variety of tactics, including slices, topspin shots, and drop shots, which have always been integral to her game. Yet, none could disrupt Osaka’s relentless rhythm. Whenever Kasatkina sought to pull her opponent out of position, Osaka countered with another pinpoint groundstroke, delivering one of the most impressive performances at Wimbledon this week.
Although the second set briefly suggested a contest when Kasatkina leveled at 3-3 after overcoming an early break, Osaka elevated her game once more. She won the final three games decisively, concluding the match with a remarkable display that included five aces to Kasatkina’s one, an 81% success rate on her first serve, and 25 winners. Throughout the match, her confidence was palpable, a testament to her recent practice on grass.
“I’ve played a lot of matches on grass for the past two weeks, so I felt really confident. She played really good as well, so I’m really happy with the result.” said Osaka. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time, one point at a time even. It was really fun to play and I hope I keep going further and further.”
Osaka has now reached the second week of a grand slam for only the third time since claiming the Australian Open title in 2021, a promising indication that the former world No 1 is gradually regaining the form that once established her as a dominant presence in women’s tennis.
When asked if this milestone could signify the beginning of something special at Wimbledon, Osaka maintained a grounded perspective. “I don’t think I should be telling you this, but she was kind of bad yesterday,” she replied with a smile. “We tried to take her to the park, but then she needed to be in time out, so we are going to try to take her today. She blew out her candles and made a wish so I hope her wish is to behave better. If not, today is a new day for her.”
Additionally, she shared a humorous anecdote about life outside of the tournament, noting that her plans to celebrate her daughter’s third birthday on Thursday did not unfold as expected.
“I don’t think I should be telling you this, but she was kind of bad yesterday,” Osaka revealed. “We tried to take her to the park, but then she needed to be in time out, so we are going to try to take her today. She blew out her candles and made a wish so I hope her wish is to behave better. If not, today is a new day for her.”
In other matches, fourth seed Jessica Pegula advanced smoothly to the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, remaining unbeaten in sets throughout this year’s Championships.
Belinda Bencic, the 11th seed and last year’s semi-finalist, endured a challenging match, ultimately defeating the 19th seed Anna Kalinskaya with a scoreline of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) after demonstrating composure in the decisive tie-break to secure her place in the last 16.
