‘It feels like a dream:’ Naomi Osaka earns first win at Wimbledon since 2018
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Naomi Osaka recorded her first win at Wimbledon since 2018 as she beat France’s Diane Parry 6-1 1-6 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round.
The four-time grand slam champion twice went down a break of serve in the third and deciding set, but fought back to earn the win on her first appearance in SW19 for five years.
Osaka 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 in July.
In a protest against Barclays' sponsorship of Wimbledon, activists from anonymous arts collective Brandalism have replaced commercial billboard, bus stop and tube ads surrounding the prestigious tennis tournament, which opens on Monday, with hard-hitting artworks targeting Barclays' links to arms companies and the climate crisis. 30/6/24 Photo Tom Pilston.Related article Ad protests target Wimbledon’s ‘strawberries and cream’ image over event’s ties with Barclays
Osaka said “it feels like a dream” to be back at Wimbledon.
“I’m just really excited to be here,” she said in her post-match interview. “It’s funny, Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched after pregnancy and my daughter is turning one tomorrow, so I’m really glad to still be here.
“I wish I could say I enjoyed it (the match) all the time – my heart was racing a lot – but I feel like these are the types of matches that you have to play in order to ease into the tournament.”
Now ranked No. 113 in the world, Osaka is competing as a wildcard at Wimbledon this year. She has won all four of her grand slams on the hard courts of the US Open and Australia, but has never been past the third round at the All England Club.
Osaka faces American 19th seed Emma Navarro in the second round
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