The clay is behind us, and now the velvet grass of Europe takes center stage, where dreams are reborn and legends redefined. Naomi Osaka, the 4-time GS champion, didn’t have the smoothest start, crashing out in the 1st round of the Berlin Open with a tough 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 loss to Liudmila Samsonova. But champions don’t sulk, they study. They rise. And Osaka just did that. In her latest Wimbledon warm-up match, she clawed her way to a gritty win, far from pretty but soaked in fight. However, after the win, she revealed her grass-court ambitions, with her coach firmly in her corner, believing every step of the way!

On a sunlit Monday at the Bad Homburg Open, Naomi Osaka turned up the heat in a battle of serving firepower. The former WTA top seed outdueled Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in a high-octane 1st-round clash at the WTA 500 grass-court showdown. Currently ranked 57th in the rankings, Osaka needed 2 hours and five minutes to edge past the 37th rank, delivering 16 aces to snap her 3-match losing streak. Danilovic, no slouch herself, hammered 10 aces in a tightly fought contest that kept the crowd on the edge.

This win marks a crucial turning point for Osaka, who had fallen in 3 straight matches, most notably to Paula Badosa at Roland Garros and in Berlin just last week. But on grass, a surface where Osaka seeks to make a statement, the tides may be shifting. Following the win, she voiced her ambitions for grass-court glory, and her coach stands tall behind her, believing, pushing, and expecting her to rise like only champions do.

Right after her gritty win at the Bad Homburg Open, Naomi Osaka, still catching her breath, stepped into the on-court interview uploaded on the EverythingTennis YouTube channel. But it wasn’t just about breaking a losing streak; it was about discovering something deeper. To her surprise, she learned that her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, firmly believes she can become a true force on grass courts. Taken aback but grateful, Osaka responded with honesty and humility: “I mean I hope so… I mean I um I think I have potential but I don’t know—everyone is also really good so I can never I guess take it for granted, the wins. And um, just super excited that I won today.”

It’s not just Mouratoglou, though. Former US Open champion Andy Roddick is also rooting for Osaka’s grass-court breakthrough. Roddick, known for his serve-and-volley prowess, sees potential in her raw power. “There’s no reason why she can’t play well on grass,” he asserted on June 18 as reported by tennis.com. “I think she needs to focus on that first-strike tennis, maybe move her serve around a little more and take some chances on the second serve so her movement doesn’t get a chance to get exposed as often.”

Grass, however, hasn’t always been Osaka’s best friend. With a 22–18 career record on the surface and a 55% win rate till now, she hasn’t made it past the 3rd round at Wimbledon since 2018, back when she was still a rising star, not yet a GS champion. Her last outing at SW19 in 2024 ended in the 2nd round, losing in straight sets to Emma Navarro. Still, since returning from maternity leave, Osaka has been slowly piecing her form together, claiming a WTA 125K title in Saint-Malo earlier this season.

Now, as her campaign continues in Germany, Osaka is all smiles, riding the rhythm of her latest win in a gruelling match.

What went down between Naomi Osaka and Olga Danilovic

Yesterday’s match unfolded like a high-voltage thriller, packed with fire, finesse, and razor-thin margins. Neither Naomi Osaka nor Olga Danilovic gave an inch, with both players holding serve throughout the match. The Japanese wiped away four break points with icy composure, while Danilovic stood tall under pressure, saving 6 herself. The tension boiled down to tiebreakers, and Osaka, ever the warrior, came back from 2 to 4 down in the 1st-set breaker. A blistering backhand forced an error on her second set point, sealing the opener after a grueling 70-minute battle.

Danilovic didn’t back down, though, opening the 2nd set with 3 consecutive aces, firing on all cylinders. But the breaker was where things unraveled. Osaka smartly challenged a called ace that turned out to be just out. Danilovic followed it up with a double fault, giving Osaka a 3-1 lead. A powerful smash made it 6-4, setting up double match point. With all eyes locked in, Osaka, who had seen a tough loss at the French Open, drilled a forehand winner to finish off a fiercely contested match.

Naturally, she was excited about the victory. That being said, she has set the bar much higher for herself. In an interview with CNN back in February, ahead of her Indian Wells campaign in March, Osaka opened up about her goals for the 2025 season. “I have a lot of goals going forward. For as long as I can play, I really want to win Wimbledon and Roland Garros (the French Open) and get a career Grand Slam,” she said, pinpointing her sights on that elusive 5th major title, especially on clay and grass where she has never won any slams.

Now, with her 1st grass-court win of the season secured before Wimbledon appears, Osaka sets her sights on a familiar challenge, 5th seed Emma Navarro. The same player who ousted her at Wimbledon last year. Is a comeback brewing? Revenge, perhaps, is on the grass!