Naomi Osaka defeated Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-3, in the second round of the Bad Homburg Open.
The four-time Grand Slam champion remains on course for the title in Germany, booking her place in the quarter-finals without dropping a set.
Who is currently the best grass-court player on the WTA Tour?
Following one of the biggest grass-court wins of her career, Osaka discussed her attitude.
Naomi Osaka says her attitude impressed her the most after reaching Bad Homburg Open quarter-finals
During her post-match interview, Osaka was asked about the importance of making quick starts on grass.
“I think it’s really important on grass, because of how fast it feels the matches go,” she said.
“But, honestly, I don’t really think about it; I just try to play my game, and thankfully, I did get a really good start.”
She was then asked which aspect of her performance pleased her the most.
Naomi Osaka vs Elise Mertens – Match stats
| Stats | Naomi Osaka | Elise Mertens |
| Aces | 7 | 5 |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 86% | 65% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 47% | 35% |
| Winners | 22 | 12 |
| Unforced errors | 8 | 16 |
| Break points | 4/9 | 1/1 |
| Total points won | 58 | 39 |
“Probably my attitude,” she said.
“I think in my last match I had a huge dip in the first set, and this time I tried to be pretty stable.
Naomi Osaka at the 2026 Bad Homburg Open
- 1R [WIN] vs Magdalena Frech, 6-4, 6-1
- 2R [WIN] vs Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-3
“Honestly, it’s really fun to learn match by match.”
Finally, Osaka shared what she plans to do now, having just qualified for the biggest grass-court quarter-final of her career.
“I think for me, I’m going to call my daughter later, it always brightens my day to talk to her,” she said.
“Other than that, I guess I try to read some books, play some games, and the night seems to pass so fast.”
Osaka has only played four grass-court quarter-finals before, all below the WTA 500 level.
She played her first quarter-final in Kurume, Japan, 12 years ago, where she lost to her countrywoman, Nao Hibino.
A year later, Osaka won a grass-court quarter-final for the first time in her career, defeating Su Wei Hsieh en route to the final in Surbiton, UK.
Then, in 2018, she qualified for her first tour-level grass-court quarter-final in Nottingham.
There, Osaka beat Mihaela Buzarnescu before losing to Ashleigh Barty in the semis.
She had to wait six years for another quarter-final appearance, as she made the last eight in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2024.
Unfortunately for Osaka, she failed in her bid to reach the semi-finals of the WTA 250 event, losing out to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
Will she fare better in 2026? Only time will tell.
Who will Naomi Osaka play next in Bad Homburg?
Osaka will return to take on Mirra Andreeva or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarter-finals.
The Japanese star will likely walk on court as the underdog in either matchup, but could well cause an upset, especially if she plays as well as she did in the first two rounds.
Looking further ahead, Osaka could play Elina Svitolina or Wang Xinyu in the semis.
And in the final, she could meet several big-name players, including Iga Swiatek, Qinwen Zheng, and Karolina Muchova.
Swiatek lost in the Bad Homburg Open final 12 months ago shortly before lifting the Wimbledon title in London.
Osaka would love to follow in Swiatek’s footsteps, but knows she has a long way to go.
The 28-year-old has yet to play her best tennis at Wimbledon, having never reached the quarter-finals at the All England Club.
Naomi Osaka’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Latest performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | W – 2019, 2021 | 3R – 2026 | 28-7 | 80% |
| French Open | 4R – 2026 | 4R – 2026 | 11-8 | 58% |
| Wimbledon | 3R – 2017, 2018, 2025 | 3R – 2025 | 7-5 | 58% |
| US Open | W – 2018, 2020 | SF – 2025 | 28-7 | 80% |
She’ll be keen to improve her record in 2026, but won’t want to get ahead of herself.
For now, Osaka will focus on her quarter-final match in Bad Homburg.
Osaka will play Andreeva or Alexandrova on Thursday, June 25.
