Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka Marks an Embarrassing Return to SW19 as 4-Year Hiatus Comes With Hilarious Consequences

Naomi Osaka is set to grace the grass courts again after a long time. While she previously competed at Wimbledon in 2017, 2018, and 2019, she was unfortunately never able to go beyond the third round. But this year, the former World No. 1 is soon going to make her mark at Wimbledon on July 1st. She was given a wildcard.

However, when a “starry-eyed” Osaka stepped into the lush green courts, she landed herself in an unexpected and awkward moment! Osaka took to her Instagram, excited about her return to the grass slams, and shared a picture of the venue. Her post showed a green wall representing the grass court, with the updated iconic Wimbledon logo in the center of the wall. Captioning it, “feeling very starry-eyed. Can’t believe I am here, wow,” the four-time Grand Slam champion shared.

But her next Instagram story highlighted a different scenario. Sharing a picture of the court, Osaka wrote, “A lady just asked me when is the last time I was here because they made some changes. I said 2019 and she chuckled at me 😭😂.” The hilarious incident also points out how this is going to be the comeback of Osaka after four consecutive (2020-2023) years of absence. What was the reason behind this?

Well, in 2020, Wimbledon did not take place due to the COVID lockdown. Then, in 2021, Osaka took a hiatus from the tour as she prioritized her mental health issues. 2022 saw Osaka suffer from a left Achilles heel injury. On top of that, the 26-year-old player also did not have enough points due to a sharp decline in her ranking (World No. 43).

Referring to that, Osaka said, “I’m not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just like feels that way. Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100%.”

In 2023, Osaka was absent for the entire year as she was pregnant, with her daughter, Shai, arriving before the 2023 Wimbledon concluded. However, Naomi Osaka is once again back to show her magic on the green fields of Wimbledon! With an absence from the grass for so long, Osaka believes she needs to catch up.

Naomi Osaka isn’t confident about playing on grass courts…

The four-time grand slam champion has earned all four of her major titles on the hard court. Her two Masters titles have also come from the hard court. Osaka has yet to play on a grass-court final on the WTA Tour, but the Japanese player is keen on attaining her first title in London. However, she feels she lacks experience on grass.

“It was a bit strange after that long time. Moreover, I also had little experience in the past. So I see myself as a student on grass, haha.” Due to the lack of experience, she is hoping to rely on her mentality. “At the very least, I hope I can show the same mentality as in my match against Iga. More wins will come naturally, but I actually want to quickly find the constancy I appreciate so much in Swiatek, Sabalenka and the top five.”

But let us not forget Osaka’s June 11 win at the Libema Open, where tasted a victory on a grass court. It was her first win on the surface since 2019. It was the first round, and the Japanese defeated Elise Mertens in straight sets.

Naomi Osaka received a wild card entry into the main draw of the Wimbledon Championships this year. She had a rocky start while going to the event, as her flight got canceled. However, Osaka was stubborn about overcoming any difficulties that would face her and had a new challenge to tackle in five years. How do you think she will perform?