It is nearly eight years since Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka broke out onto the international scene with a surprise victory at the 2018 US Open, when then 20-year-old Osaka overcame Serena Williams in straight sets to become the first Japanese Grand Slam singles champion.
But the win was shrouded in controversy as Williams clashed with the chair empire and later suffered an on-court meltdown as she was handed a series of penalties. Boos toward match officials rang out from the American crowd as Osaka lifted her first Grand Slam trophy in tears.
What followed has been a career no less chaotic as Osaka struggled to cope with the pressures of her newfound fame.
She went on to win the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and claimed another victory at the US Open in 2020, catapulting to the World No.1 ranking and becoming the highest earning female athlete of all time. She captured headlines at the 2020 US Open for protesting police violence against black Americans and endeared crowds with her shy, reserved demeanour.
But a series of mental health struggles derailed Osaka’s rapid progress and she withdrew from the French Open in 2021 after incurring heavy fines for refusing to speak to the post-match media. Osaka revealed she had been suffering from long bouts of depression since her maiden Grand Slam victory and announced she would be spending some time away from the court.
A longer hiatus followed a series of disappointing results in 2023 as Osaka withdrew from that year’s Australian open with the news that she was expecting her first child.
On-court struggles persisted for Osaka after returning from maternity leave and the star shared with fans on social media in August 2024 that she felt physically and mentally drained by her poor performances.
But things began to look up for the four-time Grand Slam champion in the 2025 season as she returned to the top 15 in the rankings and reached a major semi-final at the US Open, her first in four years.
Osaka’s steady return to form was on full display at this year’s Wimbledon championships as she reached the quarterfinal stage for the first time.
Wowing the crowd with bold walk-out outfits inspired by her Japanese heritage, Osaka recorded her first ever win on Centre Court as she blazed past World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the fourth round, snapping a three-match losing streak against the formidable Belarusian.
It was a more carefree Osaka on the grass, outclassing her opponents with her powerful baseline play and improved serve and volley percentages.
Once media-averse, Osaka’s relaxed and cheerful demeanour when interviewed after her fourth-round victory drew laughs from the crowd and seemed to reflect her newfound confidence on the court.
She joked about her daughter Shai, now three years old, and her bad behaviour, and thanked her new team — most notably lead coach Tomasz Wiktorowski — and her mum’s cooking for her improved performances.
It ultimately wasn’t to be for Osaka at this year’s championships, losing in the quarterfinal to eventual runner-up Karolina Muchová, but her blistering display of form on the way to her first-ever second week appearance has got many in the tennis world talking, as hope for Osaka’s fifth Grand Slam title swirls once more.
“Naomi Osaka, Wimbledon 2017” by si.robi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
