Naomi Osaka has arrived at Wimbledon with a cloud of uncertainty looming over her after retiring from the Bad Homburg Open final with a foot injury just two days before her opening match at the grass-court Major. Despite fitness concerns and a potential fourth-round clash with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on the cards, Osaka has explained why she isn’t losing sleep over her draw.
Why Naomi Osaka Is Feeling ‘Carefree’ at Wimbledon
No. 14 seed Osaka is set to lock horns with Elsa Jacquemot in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships. Speaking to the press ahead of her tournament opener, she was asked whether her success at the Bad Homburg Open had changed her expectations for what she could achieve at the grass-court Major.
However, Osaka emphasized that she was approaching her campaign with a carefree mindset. She revealed that, unlike her usual routine, she had looked at her draw in advance but wasn’t feeling particularly stressed about her path.
“Actually, I think I went like the complete other direction. Now I don’t really care anymore. I feel like I’m carefree in the way that I’m approaching it as I have to take it match by match. I’m not putting pressure on myself really to like look ahead in the draw. And it’s a little weird because now that I feel very carefree, I looked at the draw, which you know, I don’t do in Germany and here. And I don’t feel too stressed out about it. So, I’ll see what happens,” Osaka said.
Following the major wave of upsets at the French Open, Osaka also pointed out that top seeds can suffer unexpected losses at Grand Slams.
“And I feel like in Slams like seeds do lose randomly. So, I can’t ever put too much emphasis on who I might play or not,” she added.
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The former world No. 1 also shared a brief update on her fitness, saying, “I mean I could be feeling better, but I could also be feeling worse.”
Naomi Osaka is on course for a blockbuster fourth-round showdown with top seed Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, provided they both reach the Round of 16. If the match materializes, it will mark a rematch of their fourth-round clash at Roland Garros, where Sabalenka claimed a 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Before the potential showdown, however, Osaka will meet either Emiliana Arango or Anastasia Gasanova if she reaches the second round, followed by a potential third-round clash with Leylah Fernandez or Daria Kasatkina.