Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka Marks an Embarrassing Return to SW19 as 4-Year Hiatus Comes With Hilarious Consequences

Naomi Osaka is finally back at Wimbledon! After four years of remaining absent from the event, the former World No. 1 is soon going to make her mark on the grass courts of Wimbledon (starting on July 1st). However, when a “starry-eyed” Osaka stepped into the lush green courts of Wimbledon, she landed herself in an unexpected and awkward moment!

An hour ago, Naomi Osaka took to her Instagram and shared her excitement about participating in the upcoming Wimbledon Championships by posting a picture of the place. It showed a green wall, representing grass, and over it, there was the iconic Wimbledon championships symbol that has witnessed the dream-come-true moments of various tennis players. Captioning it, “feeling very starry-eyed. Can’t believe I am here, wow,” the four-time Grand Slam champion shared her enthusiasm for performing at Wimbledon once again after 2019. However, the next Instagram story highlighted a different scenario.

Posting a picture of the court, Osaka wrote, “a lady just asked me when is the last time I was here because they made some changes. I said 2019 and she chuckled at me 😭😂.” The hilarious incident also points out how this is going to be the comeback of Osaka after four consecutive (2020-2023) years of missing the event.

However, the reasons behind the Japanese tennis pro’s absence are varied. In 2020, Wimbledon did not take place due to the COVID lockdown. And in 2021, Osaka prioritized her mental health issues and took a step back from participating in various tournaments, including Wimbledon. That’s not it. Sadly, in 2022, Osaka, suffering from her left Achilles heel injury. On top of that, the 26-year-old player also did not have enough points due to a decline in her ranking (World No. 43).

Referring to that, Osaka said, “I’m not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just like feels that way. Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100%.”However, after taking a maternity leave in 2023, Naomi Osaka is once again back to show some magic in the green fields of Wimbledon! After all, she herself agreed how she wants to win more Grand Slams this year!

Naomi Osaka reveals her dreams of winning more Grand Slam

Naomi Osaka, who received a wild card entry into the main draw of the Wimbledon Championships this year, had a rocky start while going to the event as her flight got cancelled. However, overcoming all difficulties, Osaka is now in London, vying for her career’s first Wimbledon title! Previously, she made her goal quite clear to the world, as she said, “I definitely want to win more Grand Slams and I guess put in more time in [for] the French Open and Wimbledon, and play the Paris Olympics.”

While her French Open dreams came to an end in the second round, Wimbledon is her next destination to earn her first Grand Slam since 2018 U.S. Open. As she moves forward in her goal, the tennis world waits to see her amazing prowess on-court.