On Centre Court on Sunday afternoon, Naomi Osaka rediscovered a joy she hadn't felt on a tennis court in a long time. She beat Aryna Sabalenka to book her place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, and when asked afterwards what had changed for her, she gave an answer few expected, pointing not just to her coaching team and mindset but also to her mum's cooking.
Osaka said her mum is over there and cooks a lot, and that she feels her mum's cooking is powering her, so she would really appreciate another meal that night. She added that her mum cooks a bunch of Japanese food, so a shout out to Japanese food was in order. She said it had been a long time since she'd had so much fun on the court, and doing it at Wimbledon meant a lot to her.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin described the display as the best Osaka has looked since her comeback.
A sport that once felt like breathing had turned into a struggle
Just two years ago, Naomi Osaka was struggling to understand why a sport that was as simple as breathing to her had left her feeling bereft. Struggling after her return from maternity leave in July 2023, Osaka said she did not feel like she was in her own body. In August 2024 she wrote that it was a strange feeling, missing balls she shouldn't miss and hitting balls softer than she remembered hitting them. She wrote that she tried to tell herself it was fine and that she was doing great, but that mentally it was really draining.
World number one at 23, then a break for her mental health
By the time she was 23, Osaka had already won two Australian Open and two US Open titles and had sat at the top of the world rankings. But she has also spoken openly about the pressure that comes with playing tennis at that level. Osaka struggled with bouts of depression after winning her first major title in 2018. In 2021 she briefly stepped away from tennis to prioritise her mental health, and later took 15 months of maternity leave after the birth of her daughter, Shai.
In her absence, Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, among others, went on to win major titles and build fresh rivalries among themselves. When Osaka returned to the tour, she found it hard to fit back into a landscape that had moved on without her.
A heavy loss in Rome became the turning point
The real shift came after a 6-2 6-1 loss to Swiatek in Rome. Osaka said that after that loss she felt like she shut everyone out and got straight on a plane back home. She said she didn't talk to her team, because she felt really ashamed about how she had reacted.
After that defeat, she said, she told herself that she was nearing 30 and had to really enjoy the time she had. She said tennis is very important to her, but that she has a life outside of it, and that she needs to treasure tennis in a way that doesn't put too much importance on it.
Free-flowing tennis, 21 winners and a dominant first serve
On court, Osaka not only matched Sabalenka for pace but played with far more control. While Sabalenka's frustration after a missed shot showed up as a yell or a glare towards her box, Osaka simply turned her back on a fluffed shot, kicking her heels up as she jogged back to the baseline. She played with freedom throughout, striking 21 winners and winning 87% of points behind her first serve.
Coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and a rebuilt grass-court game
Osaka credited her changed grass-court game to coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who she began working with in mid-2025. She said that when she was younger, she used to get so low after mistakes that she would bang her knees on the ground, to the point where she thought she might need knee guards while playing.
She said her team always understood she had the potential to play really well on grass, and that the missing piece was figuring out the movement side of her game. She said she had done a lot of drills with Tomasz, most of which weren't even on a grass court, focusing instead on pattern recognition and getting comfortable with her own game. Throughout the year, she said, he had been steadily making her more comfortable with her movement.
Family in London, and a third birthday for daughter Shai
Osaka also credits her calmness to having her family around her in London. The family are staying together in a house, and celebrated Shai's third birthday on Thursday, though Osaka told Friday's Court One crowd that she had put her daughter in time-out because she was being a bit naughty.
A tough test awaits against Karolina Muchova
Her quarter-final opponent, Karolina Muchova, is a crafty player who will look to counter Osaka's pace with spin and guile, making it a tough test. But she will now face a version of Osaka who is looser, calmer and more ready than at any point since her return.
Speaking on BBC TV, Tracy Austin said Osaka probably felt her comeback was taking way too long, noting that this time last year she wasn't even ranked in the top 50. Austin said Osaka has done a great job of getting more consistent, looks fitter than she has ever seen her, and is fully committed to staying controlled on court.
