Naomi Osaka’s return to Wimbledon after a five-year hiatus ended in disappointment as she was defeated 6-4, 6-1 in the second round by American Alycia Navarro.
The 26-year-old, competing as a wildcard following the birth of her first child last year, has yet to progress beyond the third round at Wimbledon in four attempts.
Osaka, who missed the 2022 tournament due to injury and took breaks in 2021 to address mental health issues, had battled past world number 53 Diane Parry in a tight first-round match on Monday.
However, under the Centre Court roof, she struggled against Navarro, who made only five unforced errors compared to Osaka’s 16.
The match’s turning point came in the seventh game of the first set when Osaka’s four wayward shots resulted in a break to love. An immediate opportunity to break back was denied when Navarro successfully challenged what appeared to be a winning shot from Osaka.
The second set saw Osaka’s performance deteriorate further. She started by firing a forehand long with an open court and followed it with a weak drop-volley into the net, allowing Navarro to break serve immediately.
Two additional breaks of serve for Navarro quickly sealed the match after just 59 minutes, setting her up for a meeting with Russian Diana Shnaider.
Reflecting on her performance, Osaka admitted, “I didn’t feel fully confident in myself. I didn’t feel like I was playing that well. Those doubts started trickling into my game. Obviously, the second set wasn’t that great.”
Osaka’s early exit marks another challenging chapter in her Wimbledon journey, as she continues to seek success on the famed grass courts of the All England Club.