Naomi Osaka is stepping into the grass-court season with a lot on her plate, facing some big expectations and recent hurdles. After an emotional first-round exit at Roland Garros, she tearfully shared, “I hate disappointing people. Even with Patrick, I was thinking just now, he goes from working with, like, the greatest player ever to, like, ‘What the f*** is this?’ Sorry for cursing. I hope I don’t get fined.” The Japanese tennis star shared her worries about disappointing coach Patrick Mouratoglou after racking up 54 unforced errors—Osaka’s confidence appeared to be a bit shaken.

Naomi faced more challenges on the grass in Berlin, losing to Liudmila Samsonova even though there were high hopes for how well she could adapt to the surface. This loss even got former tennis star Tracy Austin to weigh in, saying, “To be honest, I did not think it would take this long for someone who has won four majors and has been so committed working with Patrick Mouratoglou. Works so hard when she has lost, she goes back to the academy there. Super proud of Naomi for to try to play better on the clay.”

Nevertheless, she beat Olga Danilovic in a close two-set match in Bad Homburg, securing her first victory of the season on grass. After the win, Osaka said, “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.”

With the summer campaign kicking off on such an emotional note, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou shared an inspiring message on Instagram, saying, “Grass season is short. Let’s make the best out of it. @wimbledon we are ready.” The coach really highlighted how confident he is in Osaka, not only in her baseline skills and serve but also in how well she can adapt to different surfaces.

As Wimbledon kicks off, Osaka steps onto the grass at SW19 not just as a past champion looking for a comeback, but as a player with a coach who truly believes she can change her story on this surface. Mouratoglou’s words were brief but thoughtful, creating a sense of determination. This goes beyond just motivation; it’s like a roadmap. When you look at history, it’s clear that when his players really believe and can pull it off under pressure, amazing things tend to happen.

As Osaka walks onto Centre Court, her coach and she are both eager to turn that potential into something real—excited for what’s to come and ready to make it happen. So, what is her Wimbledon record?

Naomi Osaka’s love-hate relationship with the grass courts

Naomi Osaka has always been open about her challenges and goals on grass courts, frequently mentioning how tough that surface can be. In 2019, during Wimbledon Media Day, she shared, “If you ask me right now, I would say for me grass is the hardest surface to learn because I’ve played on clay, despite the fact that it was green clay when I was little.”

The Japanese tennis star shared how she didn’t really have much experience playing on grass until she was around 16 or 17. “Every day I learn something while I play here. You only technically play on grass for three weeks out of the year, opposed to the clay season. I just feel like my brain has to work way harder every day than the clay season,” Osaka said. Her Wimbledon journey has been all about taking things step by step and really reflecting on her experiences. Osaka made it to the third round in both 2017 and 2018, but she didn’t go any further than that.

After taking a five-year break from Wimbledon, which included some time for maternity and focusing on her mental health, she made her comeback at Wimbledon 2024 with a fresh sense of purpose. Looking back on her return, she shared, “It feels like a dream,” celebrating her first match win at SW19 since 2018 and feeling thankful for making it back after becoming a mother. Osaka has been actively working on her grass-court challenges. Her willingness to adapt and growing mental strength show that she gets how short the grass season is but also the long-term benefits of mastering it at Wimbledon.