Naomi Osaka Triumphs in Wimbledon Return, Faces Navarro Next

Naomi Osaka marked her return to Wimbledon after five years with a triumphant victory, overcoming Diane Parry 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 on Court Two. The four-time Grand Slam champion, now ranked 113th globally, returned to the tour this year following the birth of her daughter, Shai. Reflecting on her journey, Osaka expressed excitement and gratitude for being back at Wimbledon, particularly on the eve of her daughter’s first birthday. Despite a dominant first set, Naomi Osaka faced a resilient challenge from Parry in the second and third sets, where she had to rally back from a break down.

Ultimately, Parry’s double faults in the final game proved decisive for Osaka’s victory. In the next round, she will face American 19th seed Emma Navarro. Meanwhile, on Centre Court, Coco Gauff sailed into the second round with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over Caroline Dolehide. Gauff, now the world number two and US Open champion, reminisced about her breakthrough at Wimbledon, where she defeated Venus Williams five years ago. Motivated by last year’s early exit, Gauff dominated from the outset, breaking Dolehide’s serve three times in the opening set.

In other matches, French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini, ninth seed Maria Sakkari and Eastbourne champion Daria Kasatkina secured early victories. However, there were surprises as eighth seed Zheng Qinwen and 24th seed Mirra Andreeva suffered unexpected defeats. Notably, third seed Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the tournament due to a shoulder injury, adding to the day’s developments at Wimbledon.