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Naomi Osaka lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round at Wimbledon, failing to reach the fourth round for the fifth time.
Naomi Osaka exits from Wimbledon (AFP)
Naomi Osaka squandered a golden opportunity to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time, falling to Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a dramatic third-round clash on Friday.
The Japanese star appeared in control after claiming the opening set on Court Two, but her hopes unravelled as Pavlyuchenkova mounted a determined comeback to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Despite being a four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka, 27, has not lifted a major title since her 2021 Australian Open triumph. Her struggles at Wimbledon continued, with this defeat marking her fifth failed attempt to reach the last 16. Her previous campaigns ended with two third-round exits, alongside early-round losses in her other appearances.
Grand Slam Drought Persists
Since that last major title over three years ago, Osaka has now failed to progress beyond the third round in 12 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments. Her return to the tour in 2024, following a 15-month maternity break after the birth of her daughter in July 2023, has shown flashes of promise—but consistency has remained elusive.
Osaka started confidently, surging to a 4-1 lead and sealing the first set with an ace. But Pavlyuchenkova found her rhythm in the second, hammering a forehand winner on set point to draw level.
Osaka took a break before the deciding set, hoping to regroup. Instead, she was broken early and trailed 3-0. She fought back to even the score at 3-3, but faltered again as the pressure mounted, with Pavlyuchenkova capitalizing to seal the win.
Currently ranked 53rd in the world, the former No. 1 has often admitted her discomfort on grass courts. Earlier this week, she spoke candidly about her struggles with the surface.
“I don’t know, with age fear kind of crept along and, I guess, paralysed me in a way,” Osaka said. “Now I’m kind of just getting over that and trying to spread my wings on grass.”
(with AFP inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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