Naomi Osaka Happily Returns to Wimbledon After 5 Year Absence

Naomi Osaka is happy to play in Wimbledon for the first time in five years.

Naomi Osaka has returned to Wimbledon. / Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

The start of grass court season began with a sport-wide headache over scheduling. Players were forced to choose between Wimbledon and the Summer Olympics because of the quick change in court surfaces.

However, a new narrative is emerging. It is the year of comeback players. Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, Angelique Kerber, and Caroline Wozniacki have been given Wimbledon wildcards.

Earlier today, Osaka celebrated her return to the All England Club. The American player posted pictures to Instagram story where she documented each step through the iconic venue like it was the first time.

The four-time Grand Slam Champion has never advanced past the third round of Wimbledon, but she is happy to be back for the first time since 2019.

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In one of her Instagram stories, Osaka posted a picture of the Wimbledon logo with the caption, "Feeling very starry-eyed. Can't believe I'm here, wow."

Even Wimbledon reciprocated the love with a post on its official social media accounts. A picture of Osaka smiling while working out in Nike gear is captioned, "A smile we've missed. Welcome back to SW19, Naomi!"

Osaka and Wimbledon are not the only ones happy about this long-awaited return. The entire tennis world is glad to see Osaka happy, healthy, and dominating. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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