Naomi Osaka suffered a devastating third-round loss at Wimbledon 2025, leaving her unable to find positives from her recent grass court season. The only bright spot she could identify was celebrating her daughter Shai’s second birthday.
The four-time Grand Slam champion’s struggles with mental health and inconsistent form continue to plague her return to competitive tennis after giving birth in July 2023.
Osaka’s Wimbledon Heartbreak Continues Difficult Season
Osaka’s hopes of reaching the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time came crashing down when she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round. The 27-year-old was in a commanding position after winning the first set but let the match slip away as Pavlyuchenkova staged a remarkable comeback.
The defeat was particularly painful for Osaka, who had shown promise by reaching the third round for the first time since 2018. She was visibly frustrated during the match, banging her racket on the soft barrier at the back of Court Two after being broken early in the deciding set. From 4-4 in the third set, Pavlyuchenkova grabbed eight of the match’s last 10 points, securing the victory.
During the post-match press conference, when asked about positives she could take from recent weeks, Osaka replied: “I’m just gonna be a negative human being today. I’m so sorry. I have nothing positive to say about myself, which is something I’m working on. It was my daughter’s birthday. I was happy about that this week. Other than that, today, I’m just constantly replaying the match.”
Naomi Osaka says she has nothing positive to say about herself after her loss to Pavlyuchenkova at Wimbledon
“Despite the loss, do you still see some positive the last few weeks and going forward into the season or are you just reflecting on today so far?”
Naomi: “I’m just… pic.twitter.com/08ymtbg6TU
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 4, 2025
The raw emotion in Osaka’s response highlighted the mental battles she continues to face. Her inability to find silver linings reflects the deeper challenges that have defined her tennis journey since 2021.
Mental Health Struggles Shape Naomi Osaka’s Tennis Comeback
Osaka’s current struggles are deeply rooted in mental health challenges that first became public in 2021 when she withdrew from the French Open. She revealed at that time that she had “suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018” and experienced “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the world’s media.
Her decision to withdraw from the 2021 French Open after being fined $15,000 for skipping mandatory press conferences marked a turning point in professional tennis’s approach to mental health. The incident sparked widespread discussion about athlete welfare and media obligations.
Since returning to tennis in 2024 after giving birth to daughter Shai in July 2023, Osaka’s form has been inconsistent. She started the 2024 season unranked and climbed inside the top 60, finishing the year ranked 58th. This represented one of the largest rises on the tour that year.
However, her best performance in 2024 was reaching the quarterfinals at the Qatar Open, where she lost to Karolina Pliskova. She has managed to secure some notable victories, including her first win over a top-10 player in four years when she defeated Jelena Ostapenko at the 2024 US Open.
Currently ranked 53rd in the world, Osaka’s recent results show mixed performances. She reached a WTA 125 final in Saint-Malo in May 2025, winning her first title since 2021 by defeating Kaja Juvan in the final. The victory provided a rare moment of celebration in an otherwise challenging comeback.
However, grass court tennis remains challenging for Osaka, with an early exit at Bad Homburg before Wimbledon. Her career record at Wimbledon stands at 5-4, with third-round appearances in 2017 and 2018 being her best showings at the All England Club.
The contrast between her past dominance and current struggles is stark. Osaka won four Grand Slam titles between 2018 and 2021, establishing herself as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Her current ranking and results reflect the difficulty of balancing motherhood, mental health, and elite competition.
As Osaka continues her journey back to the top of women’s tennis, her Wimbledon exit serves as another reminder of the challenges she faces. The path forward remains uncertain, but her commitment to addressing her mental health while pursuing competitive success continues to resonate with fans and fellow athletes alike.
