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Naomi Osaka made her feelings known after winning the opening round against Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic at the Bad Homburg Open. Osaka clinched her first win on grass since losing to Liudmila Samsonova in the Berlin Open's opening round.
Naomi Osaka, the Japanese player who peaked at World No.1 and held her top rank for 25 weeks, entered the 2025 season after a mixed 2024 campaign. She reached her first final since 2022 at the Auckland Open but retired in the wake of an abdominal injury. She made the third round at the Australian Open, a result that propelled her to No. 42 in the world.
She had early exits in Madrid and Miami, but claimed the WTA 125 Open de Saint-Malo title, her first on clay. Naomi Osaka faced disappointing first-round losses at the French Open and the first grass tournament in Berlin.
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However, she returned to form at the Bad Homburg Open, beating Olga Danilovic in two sets. Ranked 57th in the PIF WTA Rankings, the 2021 Australian Open champion rallied for two hours and five minutes to bring the 37th-ranked player down.
After her monumental win, Osaka expressed elation and also admitted that she is capable of winning on the surface.
"It’s my first grass-court win of the year, so I’m really excited about that. I think I have potential [on grass], but everyone else is also really good. I can never take it for granted, the wins. Just super excited that I won today." (via post-match interview)
Osaka will face Emma Navarro in the Round of 16 at the Bad Homburg Open, in the build-up to Wimbledon.
Naomi Osaka sought help for 'constant inner struggle' ahead of the Berlin Open
Naomi Osaka has been vocal about her depression and anxiety since withdrawing from the 2021 French Open for the same. She even inspired athletes from other sporting realms like Simone Biles and often shares her views on topics around mental health with her social media family.
Ahead of the 2025 Berlin Open, the 27-year-old opened up about her ongoing struggles, revealing that she hasn't been able to find herself yet. Seeking help, she wrote:
"I think I’m still trying to find myself and or figure out who I am. Can someone older than me please let me know if that’s a constant inner struggle or is it something we magically figure out one day?"
Osaka was struggling with a back injury and cited abdominal pain when she withdrew from the 2022 Pan Pacific Open. The following year, she announced her pregnancy and welcomed her first-born daughter, Shai.
