Wimbledon 2024: Naomi Osaka Recounts Iga Swiatek Horror With a Boastful Claim About Her French Open Run

To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and she nearly did at the 2024 French Open! We’re talking about Naomi Osaka‘s incredible performance against Iga Swiatek in the second round of the Roland Garros. Although she lost the match in a three-set thriller, her relentless fight drew praise even from her opponent after the match. Osaka has arguably been drawn against tough opponents at most of the tournaments she has played this year. Is it a bit too harsh for someone who’s making a comeback after a long gap?

Well, the Japanese tennis star strongly believes she can learn a lot from such matches, but at the same time, she thinks she could’ve fared better if she didn’t face Iga Swiatek in round 2. Reflecting on her progression in the 2024 season, Naomi Osaka said, “It’s a little weird because I feel like my level is really good. I’m just not getting to like the quarters of every tournament. It’s unfortunate, I feel like I just need a little bit of luck.“

Naomi Osaka has reached two QFs this year, but her match against Iga Swiatek was by far her best performance this season. In the pre-tournament interview, ahead of her R1 Wimbledon match against France’s Diane Parry, Osaka said she was a bit “unlucky” at the French Open. “I feel if I didn’t play Iga in the second round, I could’ve potentially gotten really far in the French. So, I’m kind of banking and hoping for a little bit of luck in my tournaments. Hopefully, I’ll get to where I want to be,” she added. However, this isn’t the first time she has spoken about her “unlucky draws” this year.

Previously, during a press conference in Doha, Osaka stated, “In all honesty, I have never believed in, like, unlucky draws. I have always felt like whoever is the better player deserves to win at the end of the day. For me, I almost feel better if I play tougher opponents. Because I think, like, I learn more from the matches.”

So far, the former world number has managed to secure a win-loss record of 15-12 this season. She needs to play and beat the big names of the game to climb up the ladder swiftly in the women’s singles ranking. As she hopes for luck in Wimbledon, luck does not seem to side with her.

Naomi Osaka may yet again come across tough challenges if she progresses through to the fourth round at Wimbledon

As per the draw of this year’s Wimbledon Championships, there are higher possibilities of tennis fans witnessing some challenging matchups in the fourth round. Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka, and Karolina Pliskova may turn up against each other later in this tournament. Victoria Azarenka recently made it to the SF in Berlin, while Pliskova reached the finals in Nottingham.

So, the road isn’t too smooth for Naomi Osaka in London either! If she somehow gets through that round, then there will be even tougher opponents waiting for her in the QF. Although she’ll avoid a top-10 player for some time, the road ahead is not smooth for Osaka in the slightest.

As she hoped, reaching the quarterfinal would be a big challenge for her. Now, looking at all these matchups, how far do you think Naomi Osaka can go in Wimbledon this year?