Naomi Osaka Said She Was Nervous at Wimbledon Because Winning Meant Her Daughter Wouldn’t Have to Travel on Her Birthday

01 Jul 2026, 16:48 · Thought Catalog

Jan Kruger / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Updated 43 minutes ago, July 1, 2026

Best response to a win ever.

Osaka beat Anastasia Gasanova 6-3, 6-4 on Day 3 to reach the third round at Wimbledon, and the timing mattered more than the scoreline. Her daughter Shai turns 2 the next day, and losing would have meant flying home on her birthday.

Interviewer: Were you nervous at all?

Naomi: Yes!

Interviewer: What was making you so nervous?

Naomi: Tomorrows my daughter’s birthday. I just wanted to be here for longer. I don’t wanna make her get on a plane on her birthday. I was really happy about today.

Interviewer: What do you have planned?

Naomi: Yeah. Obviously I have to practice in the morning but maybe after we’ll go around the park and stuff. She loves making friends so yeah, probably do that.

Naomi Osaka raises her racket to acknowledge the crowd at the All England Club after beating Anastasia Gasanova in the second round of Wimbledon on July 1, 2026. Photo by Jan Kruger / Getty Images.

It’s Osaka’s deepest run at the All England Club since 2018. She’s never been past the third round here, and a win in her next match would be a career first on grass.

Wearing a dramatic white ruffled Nike outfit with a trailing skirt, Osaka laughs on the grass court during her pre-match warm-up at Wimbledon on July 1, 2026. Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images.

Asked what they had planned, she said she’d practice in the morning and then take her daughter around the park. “She loves making friends,” Osaka said.

Anastasia Gasanova leaps through her serve during her second-round clash against Osaka at the All England Club on July 1, 2026. Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images.

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Naomi Osaka raises her racket to acknowledge the crowd at the All England Club after beating Anastasia Gasanova in the second round of Wimbledon on July 1, 2026. Photo by Jan Kruger / Getty Images.

Wearing a dramatic white ruffled Nike outfit with a trailing skirt, Osaka laughs on the grass court during her pre-match warm-up at Wimbledon on July 1, 2026. Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images.

Anastasia Gasanova leaps through her serve during her second-round clash against Osaka at the All England Club on July 1, 2026. Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images.