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‘I didn’t feel fully confident in myself’: Naomi Osaka knocked out of Wimbledon by American Emma Navarro

 

Naomi Osaka was beaten in less than an hour by American Emma Navarro in the Wimbledon second round, losing 6-4 6-1 to the No. 19 seed on Wednesday.

Navarro needed just 59 minutes to ease past four-time grand slam champion Osaka, who recorded her first win at Wimbledon since 2018 against Diana Parry in the first round.

Now ranked No. 113 in the world, Osaka was competing as a wildcard at Wimbledon this year. The Japanese star returned to tennis at the start of 2024 after more than a year away from the sport prioritizing her mental health and then becoming a mother.

Osaka, who has won all four of her grand slam titles on hard courts, still hasn’t been past the third round at Wimbledon.

“I don’t think it was the greatest from my end,” Osaka said, per PA. “I feel like even though in the beginning it was kind of like we were trading games, I don’t know why, I didn’t feel fully confident in myself. I didn’t feel like I was playing that well.

“I guess those doubts started trickling in a lot into my game. Obviously the second set wasn’t that great. I don’t know why those thoughts were so prevalent.

“I’m a little disappointed because I wanted to do really well. I feel like I put a lot of time into it. There’s always next year.”

While Osaka’s grass court season is over, the 26-year-old has shown enough form throughout the year to suggest she could be a real threat on the hard courts again.

Navarro, the 2021 NCAA champion, has enjoyed a breakout year on the tour and has now reached at least the third round of all three grand slams this season.