Osaka ready to spread her grasscourt wings after being paralysed by fear
The Japanese player, who has won all four of her Grand Slam titles on the hardcourts of Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows, has never found her comfort zone on the green, green grass of Wimbledon, making only four previous appearances during her 10-year professional career.
During those four visits to the All England Club, she won a total of just five matches, with third-round showings in 2017 and 2018 her standout performances -- hardly anything to shout about for a woman who has been ranked on top of the world.
But after matching her best ever Wimbledon showing on Wednesday with an impressive 6-3 6-2 win over Czech Katerina Siniakova, who has won the Wimbledon women's doubles title three times, Osaka feels she has finally overcome the fear factor on grass.
"When I was younger, I had no fear. I think when you are young, you fear nothing, and that's one of the really cool things about it," explained Osaka, now ranked 53 as she continues to try to recapture her best form after taking a maternity break in 2023.
"But with age fear kind of crept along and, I guess, paralysed me in a way. Now I'm kind of just getting over that and trying to spread my wings on grass.
"I think it is working, and I think I am moving pretty well. Yeah, I just hope that in years to come and hopefully this year I can do a lot better in this tournament."
Osaka could not have picked a better year to enjoy a deep run at the tournament.
Following the carnage of seeds over the first three days, the highest seeds she could meet before a potential semi-final against either world number one Aryna Sabalenka or Australian Open champion Madison Keys are number 13 Amanda Anisimova or number 30 Linda Noskova -- neither of whom are known for their grasscourt pedigree.
After two straight-set victories, she will certainly fancy her chances of defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the last 16 here for the first time, considering the Russian has not beaten her since 2017.
"Definitely this year I feel a lot more comfortable moving on grass," said Osaka after improving her Wimbledon win-loss record to 7-4 on the day her daughter Shai was celebrating her second birthday.
"I know the last couple of years I was really scared to move because when I was younger, I strained my knee or whatever. It took a couple of years to get over that but I definitely feel a lot more comfortable."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Euro 2025: How expensive is Switzerland for travellers?
The women's Euro 2025 football championship is taking place in one of Europe's most expensive countries: Switzerland. Ahead of the first matches for both England and Wales, the English midfielder Georgia Stanway described the cost of living in Switzerland as 'extremely high' – saying players are paying to help ensure friends and family can support them as they defend their European title in one of the world's most expensive countries. 'A lot of us are putting our hands in our pockets to make sure that our families can get over there,' she said. 'We would love to see as many fans as possible and we want to thank them in advance because we know it's not cheap.' But just how pricey is the Alpine nation? I have calibrated some key purchases. One global comparator of prices is The Independent 's Hard Rock Cafe index, comparing the cost of a burger and beer at branches of the franchise around the world. But Switzerland does not currently have any branches of the music-themed chain. Instead, a Big Mac at McDonald's is used – together with a pint of beer at an Irish pub in the city centre. Other comparisons involve a bed in an airport Holiday Inn; the cost of public transport from the biggest airport to the city; rail fares for travelling between venues; and the cost of entry to a leading museum. Overall, my conclusion is that Switzerland is about one-fifth more expensive than the UK – or, more specifically, London. While the Swiss enjoy an efficient and comprehensive public transport system, it comes at a high price. This is particularly the case on the trains, where locals mostly carry half-price railcards that are beyond the scope of overseas visitors. Eating and drinking are significantly more expensive – approaching 30 per cent higher – than London prices. Swiss tourism officials politely remind visitors they should tip 10 per cent on top. And as with most nations in Continental Europe, the top Swiss museums charge admission – unlike the policy in the UK. Action points? For matches in Geneva, supporters could base themselves across the border in France, where prices are lower. Replacing a restaurant lunch with a picnic will help. And be careful about where you source those colourful but expensive Swiss francs; changing money at airport bureaux de change will make the stay even more painfully expensive. Check in: airport Holiday Inn. For the night of 3 July, the hotel nearest to Zurich airport costs SFR266 (£246), while the one closes to Heathrow is £220. Switzerland 12 per cent higher. From the airport Zurich to the centre SFR7 (£6.50); Heathrow to the centre £5.80 – though if you want a bit more speed the price roughly doubles for the Elizabeth Line and quadruples for the Heathrow Express. Switzerland 12 per cent higher. Big Mac At the elegant McDonald's opposite the main station in Basel: SFR6.90 (£6.40); £5 in central London. Switzerland 28 per cent higher. Pint in an Irish pub in the city centre O'Flanagan's in Basel: SFR9.80 (£9); Waxy O'Connor's in London: £7 Switzerland 29 per cent higher. Rail fares The rail distance from Geneva to Zurich is 160 miles, about the same as London to Doncaster. The cheapest 'walk-up' fare between the two cities is SFR92 (£85). In the UK you could in theory pay £134 for a trip from the capital to South Yorkshire, but with a multiplicity of fares available on LNER and Hull Trains a fare of around £70 is more likely. Switzerland 21 per cent higher. Cost of culture National Museum in Zurich: SFR 13 (£12); British Museum in London: free. No contest. Tipping Switzerland Tourism says: 'In Switzerland, the guest is not obliged to tip. In many restaurants, however, it is customary to pay a tip. This amounts to approximately 10 per cent or it is rounded up to a round amount.' Visit Britain tells prospective visitors: 'Tipping is not expected in Britain like it is in some other countries. Workers do not have to rely on tips to live and all staff must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. It's not necessary to tip but it's polite to do so if you've had good service, and it's always appreciated.' Let's call it a score draw.
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Chris Woakes rues ‘pretty frustrating' close calls as England denied by India and umpires on opening day
Chris Woakes cursed the fine margins of cricket's review system after the opening day of England 's second Rothesay Test against India hinged on a couple of borderline decisions at Edgbaston. India edged an attritional battle to finish on 310 for five, thanks in large part to an unbeaten 114 from captain Shubman Gill, but could have found themselves in trouble early on. Woakes bowled KL Rahul in an outstanding opening spell but was unlucky not to add Yashasvi Jaiswal and Karun Nair, who both survived lbw shouts by the skin of their teeth. Ball-tracking suggested both deliveries would have clipped the bails but, with Bangladeshi official Sharfuddoula Saikat unmoved, each appeal was struck down on 'umpire's call'. Jaiswal went from 12 to 87 after being spared, with Nair adding another 26 following his reprieve. Woakes, whose usual happy-go-lucky demeanour gave way to visible annoyance as the ill-fortune mounted up, said: 'There's probably been a few (grumpy) moments over the years, but that's right up there. Emotions run high when you're desperate to do well for the team. 'It was a pretty frustrating morning. We could easily have had them 30 for three. We thought if that pitch was going to do a bit it would first up and I think that could have been justified. 'You look at it and had those decisions gone our way the day looks completely different. A great day for us would have been 300 for seven.' While Woakes remains supportive of the the referral system, he felt Nair had been particularly lucky after shouldering arms to a ball that jagged back in at him and would have grazed the top of off stump. 'I need to be careful because I've had some go my way over the years and, in general, DRS (has) been good for the game because a lot more right decisions are given,' he said. 'The only thing I would like to change is if a batter decides to leave the ball and it's hitting the stumps, I think that should be out, regardless if it's just clipping.' The 36-year-old all-rounder sprung the same trap later on, persuading Nitish Kumar Reddy to offer no stroke at another ball that angled in and this time hit the stumps. Woakes, whose figures of two for 59 did not do him justice, savoured a strong performance on home turf and spared a thought for his late father, who died last year. 'He's always on my mind. He loved his cricket and he would have loved this week,' he said. 'Across a career you don't get that many games at your home venue and is my fourth Test here. I've got a love for Warwickshire that goes deep – it's all I've ever known. I was here before this stand was. 'There's friends and family here and people behind the scenes who support you through the good times as well as the bad.'
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Who should start England's Euro 2025 opener?
Defending champions England begin their Euro 2025 campaign on Saturday when they take on France in their Group D opener (20:00 BST).Who do you think head coach Sarina Wiegman should pick for the match?Look at the squad list below and pick the XI you would want to launch England's bid for glory in Switzerland.
