Naomi Osaka is very confident ahead of Wimbledon, but she thinks a little bit of luck would help her make a deep run.
This year’s Wimbledon will be Osaka’s first in five years because she hasn’t played on grass a lot in the past. Although it’s not her favorite surface, she made an effort this year to improve on the surfaces she doesn’t favor, such as grass and clay.
She already did that on clay, leaving a very good impression, especially at the French Open, where she nearly beat Iga Swiatek. Osaka mentioned that match as one where she needed a bit more luck because she feels luck is what she’s been missing in the past few weeks.
Asked by the media in London about her tennis, the former world no. 1 admitted that her level has been really good, but she’s missed that luck a bit in making a really deep run. Had her match against the Pole gone a bit differently, then she thinks she might have gone far.
“It’s a little weird because I feel like my level is really good. I’m just not getting to the quarters of every tournament, which is a little unfortunate. I just feel like I need a little bit of luck, which is quite interesting.”
“I think if I didn’t play Iga in the second round, I could have gotten really far in the French [Open], so I’m kind of banking and hoping for a little bit of luck in my tournaments, and hopefully, I’ll get to where I want to be.”
Ahead of Wimbledon, there are many reasons for Osaka to feel really confident on the grass-court surface. She has a powerful serve, which can be a major weapon. She also hits the ball really cleanly, which can be really deadly on a surface where the bounce is so low.
