Osaka’s Wimbledon return abruptly halted by Navarro

Naomi Osaka‘s first Wimbledon campaign in five years was emphatically halted by a swift second-round defeat to world number 17 Emma Navarro.

Wild card Osaka entered Centre Court buoyed by her first victory at the All England Club since 2018 following a mixture of injury and mental health struggles, plus the birth of daughter Shai.

But the four-time grand slam champion was unable to build on her three-set opening win over Diane Parry as Navarro comfortably progressed 6-4 6-1 in just 59 minutes.

The victorious 23-year-old will next take on Russian world number 30 Diana Shnaider, who last week beat her en route to claiming the Bad Homburg Open title.

Coco Gauff did not look at her imperious best under the roof on Wimbledon’s Court One but she was always in control of an error-strewn second-round 6-2 6-1 victory over Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni.

The US Open champion slipped and fell twice on the slick court and muttered to herself during the one hour six minute match against an opponent ranked 140 places below her.

“I do think I could have played cleaner at some points but overall I’m happy to have got through to the third round,” Gauff said in an interview on court.

Second seed Gauff, a crowd favourite at Wimbledon after announcing her arrival on the big stage with a fourth-round run as a 15-year-old five years ago, produced 16 unforced errors in the short match and managed to land only 43% of her first serves.

But her nervous opponent, at 19 six months Gauff’s junior, hit 23 unforced errors and could not find her range against the fleet-footed American, who wrapped up the match with a drop shot that Todoni could only send wide.

Gauff, who suffered a humiliating first-round exit last year at the hands of compatriot Sofia Kenin, said she had learned from that disappointment and from her triumph at the US Open to manage expectations and emotions.

“Overall, I just learned about life a lot. What I do, I’m very passionate about but it’s not ever that serious,” she said.

“It’s a game, it’s sport. Sometimes the world can make you feel like there is so much pressure and expectation.”

The draw has opened up for Gauff after the first-day withdrawals of Belarusians Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, and former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka.

Emma Raducanu powered her way into the third round with a comfortable 6-1 6-2 victory against Belgian Elise Mertens.

Raducanu has struggled for fitness since her stunning US Open triumph in 2021 but looked at the top of her game as she pummelled Mertens into submission from the baseline, shouting and fist-pumping almost every point won.

The British wildcard raced into a 5-0 lead against the 28-year-old under the closed roof of Court One which was packed with a passionate home crowd.

Mertens did get on the scoreboard to avoid a bagel, but that was the only positive for her as Raducanu clinched the first set.

The Briton then broke in the third game of the second set with a brilliant backhand across court and broke again to go 4-1 up.

Mertens, ranked 33 in the world, held to love in the next game but could not stop Raducanu bringing up two match points with an ace and then winning the first of them after the Belgian went long.

It’s the first time Raducanu has reached a third round of a Grand Slam since her title win at Flushing Meadows and raises tentative hopes of a first British women’s singles triumph at Wimbledon since Virginia Wade in 1977.

“I think I’m playing really good tennis. I’m really happy with the improvements I’ve made,” Raducanu said on court.

“I knew all the hard yards and hard work I was doing this year would lead to something. I’m just so happy I’m able to reap some of the rewards here at Wimbledon.”

Meanwhile, she will play alongside Andy Murray in the mixed doubles event after the pair were awarded a wildcard by the organisers on Wednesday.

Twice singles champion Murray, 37, is playing in his final Wimbledon but pulled out of his singles opener against Czech Tomas Machac on Tuesday due to a back problem.

He is also competing in the men’s doubles with his brother Jamie, and they face Australians Rinky Hijikata and John Peers in the first round on Thursday.

“My doubles record isn’t the longest but I couldn’t say no. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, a dream of mine since I was a young girl watching the Olympics,” Raducanu said.

“Andy’s a hero to us all, so it’s a real gift and a real honour that he asked me. I’m just super-excited and hopefully I can learn a thing or to about coming to the net or something.”