Naomi Osaka has opportunity at Wimbledon which she simply hasn’t seen since 2021

Naomi Osaka booked her place in the third round at Wimbledon after a straight-sets victory over Katerina Siniakova.

Osaka defeated the Czech 6-3, 6-2 to set up a clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her next match at the championships.

The Japanese star has enjoyed a promising start to the tournament, having already matched her best Wimbledon campaigns from 2017 and 2018.

She had only won one match during the grass swing before coming into SW19, but now looks to be finding her feet on the surface, and could be on her way to ending a four-year drought on the WTA Tour.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka’s golden opportunity at Wimbledon this year

The top seeds are dropping like flies at Wimbledon, with four of the top-five women’s players in the world crashing out in the first two rounds.

Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Qinwen Zheng have all seen their runs come to an abrupt end.

Aryna Sabalenka, who plays Emma Raducanu in her next match, is the only top-five seed remaining at the event.

Top 15 seeds out through day threeCoco Gauff [2]Jessica Pegula [3]Jasmine Paolini [4]Qinwen Zheng [5]Paula Badosa [9]Karolina Muchova [15]

The hectic start to Wimbledon has blown the draw wide open, creating opportunities for multiple stars, including Osaka, who now has a fantastic chance to win her first title in four years.

Her last tour-level title came at the Australian Open in 2021, where she defeated Jennifer Brady in the final to lift a fourth Grand Slam crown.

With Paolini’s exit from Wimbledon this year, Osaka won’t have to face a top-ten seed until at least the semi-finals, where she could meet one of Sabalenka or Madison Keys.

Should she continue her impressive grass-court form, a maiden championship in South West London could be on the cards for the former world number one.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka’s Grand Slam drought

From 2018 to 2021, Osaka picked up four major titles, winning two titles at both the Australian Open and the US Open.

Since then, however, she has struggled on the tour and has failed to make it past the third round at any Grand Slam event for over four years.

Osaka’s best finishes came at the US Open in 2021, the Australian Open in 2022 and 2025, and now at Wimbledon this year.

A win over Pavlyuchenkova would finally see her make a fourth-round appearance at a major since her triumph in Melbourne in 2021.