Naomi Osaka defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-2, 6-2, in the Bad Homburg Open quarter-finals.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was utterly dominant as she breezed past Alexandrova in Germany.
Osaka, not traditionally a grass-court specialist, has looked unbeatable since switching to the surface, defeating Magdalena Frech, Elise Mertens, and Alexandrova in straight sets at the Bad Homburg Open.
Who is currently the best grass-court player on the WTA Tour?
Her latest win was statistically the best of Osaka’s grass-court career.
Naomi Osaka beats a top-20 player on grass for the very first time at the Bad Homburg Open
Before today, Osaka had never beaten a top-20 player on a grass court.
She has now.
Naomi Osaka’s best grass-court wins
| Match | Opponent | Opponent’s rank | Score |
| 2026 Bad Homburg Open – QF | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 19th | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2017 Wimbledon – 2R | Barbora Strycova | 23rd | 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 |
| 2026 Bad Homburg Open – 2R | Elise Mertens | 26th | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2017 Birmingham Classic – 1R | Lauren Davis | 27th | 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 |
| 2018 Nottingham Open – QF | Mihaela Buzarnescu | 30th | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 2024 Libema Open – 1R | Elise Mertens | 32nd | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2019 Birmingham Classic – 1R | Maria Sakkari | 33rd | 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 2025 Bad Homburg Open – 1R | Olga Danilovic | 39th | 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2026 Bad Homburg Open – 1R | Magdalena Frech | 43rd | 6-4, 6-1 |
Her previous best win came nine years ago, when she defeated the world number 23 Barbora Strycova at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships.
Three of Osaka’s eight-best grass-court wins have come this week in Bad Homburg.
And she won’t want to stop there.
Osaka has never won a grass-court title, but looks well-positioned to challenge for the trophy on Saturday.
There, depending on the results of the remaining quarter-finals and semi-finals, she could play Karolina Muchova, gifting her an opportunity to defeat a top-15 player on grass for the first time.
2026 Bad Homburg Open semi-finals
- Emma Navarro/Elena-Gabriela Ruse vs Karolina Muchova/Clara Tauson
- Wang Xinyu vs Naomi Osaka
Regardless of what happens against Wang Xinyu in the semis and whoever she may meet in the final, Osaka can be proud of her efforts in Bad Homburg.
The 28-year-old took her time, but she may finally have found a way to make her game work on the grass!
Could Naomi Osaka win Wimbledon?
If she plays as she did against Alexandrova, why not?
The likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Mirra Andreeva all failed to impress on grass before Wimbledon, leaving the women’s draw as open as ever.
Osaka may not have expected to travel to Wimbledon with an outside chance of clinching the title, but she does now.
She will need to maintain the level she’s shown this week and quickly adapt to the conditions at the All England Club, although with her experience, you’d back her to do just that.
The Japanese star is in fine form, and with others faltering, this may be her time to win a fifth Grand Slam title.
It’s important to remember that Wimbledon winners are often unexpected, especially in women’s tennis.
There hasn’t been a repeat champion at SW19 since Serena Williams won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016.
Last 10 Wimbledon women’s singles champions
- 2015 – Serena Williams
- 2016 – Serena Williams
- 2017 – Garbine Muguruza
- 2018 – Angelique Kerber
- 2019 – Simona Halep
- 2021 – Ashleigh Barty
- 2022 – Elena Rybakina
- 2023 – Marketa Vondrousova
- 2024 – Barbora Krekcikova
- 2025 – Iga Swiatek
Marketa Vondrousova, Barbora Krejcikova, and Swiatek were all surprise winners, having failed to make much of an impression on grass before their title-winning campaigns.
Will Osaka follow in their footsteps? Only time will tell.
Before she starts thinking about Wimbledon, the 28-year-old will battle Wang for a spot in the final on Friday, June 26.
