Former world number one Naomi Osaka lost in a full set in the women's singles quarterfinals of the Rosmalen Grass Court tennis tournament in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands on Friday, ending an encouraging run on the surface ahead of Wimbledon.

Also Read: Rohan Bopanna qualifies for Paris Olympics 2024

Naomi Osaka misses her first semifinal since returning from giving birth

Osaka, who had qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024, lost to  Bianca Andreescu 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 in the women's singles quarterfinals, missing out on her first semifinal since returning from giving birth in July last year.

Andreescu will next face Dalma Galfi from Hungary for a place in Sunday’s final, with the draw opening up after the defeat of top seed Jessica Pegula.

Both players struggled for consistency early in the match

Two lengthy rain breaks meant both players struggled for consistency early in the match, which went on serve until the seventh game when Andreescu seized the initiative.

A powerful return down the line and a Naomi Osaka error handed the Canadian a break, which she backed up with a love service game marked by a string of mistakes from the Japanese player.

Andreescu managed to serve out the first set 6-4 in 40 minutes, cleverly breaking up Osaka’s rhythm with heavily sliced drop shots. But the Japanese hit back instantly in the second set, breaking Andreescu’s first service game with a sweet crosscourt forehand drive on break point and racing to a 3-0 lead.

An Andreescu double fault gifted her opponent the double break and Osaka closed out the second set 6-3 with a service winner. The only previous match between the pair was a nail-biting three-setter in Beijing in 2019 and the third set was also closely fought.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

Both women had their chances in the shoot-out

A fired-up Andreescu broke Osaka’s serve in the sixth game, wowing the crowd with some outstanding retrieving and inventive spins. She served for the match, but Naomi Osaka battled back with a break of her own, taking the contest into a final set tie-break.

Both women had their chances in the shoot-out, but Andreescu held her nerve better, Osaka making several unforced errors including on match point, as she dumped a backhand into the net.

Osaka has never played her best tennis on grass, her four Grand Slam victories have come on the hard courts at the US and Australian Open.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will miss next month's Billie Jean King Cup finals in Spain due to injury. She said in Tokyo on Sunday that she had ruptured abdominal muscles.

Also Read: US Open Champion: Last 10 years list (Women)

Osaka's stomach muscles had been torn

The 27-year-old revealed on Sunday that her stomach muscles had also been torn. “I thought I strained my back, but I did an MRI in Beijing and they said that I bulged a disc in my back and I also ruptured abdominal muscles,” 

Osaka, currently ranked 58th, suffered a lower back injury and retired during her round-of-16 match against Coco Gauff at the China Open in October. Subsequently, she withdrew from two tournaments in Japan, including the Pan Pacific Open, which starts on Monday.

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be held in Málaga, Spain from November 13-20. Osaka played a key role in helping Japan qualify for the final by defeating Kazakhstan in April, its first Billie Jean King Cup appearance since 2020.

“I’ve played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision to not play this and obviously not play BJK. I really honestly enjoyed it so much, and I think it helped with my development as a player.” She said.

Also Read: Roger Federer: A Look At The Career Of One Of The Best Tennis Players

Osaka will focus on Australian Open

Osaka will now focus on preparing for the Australian Open in January, working with respected French coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Her appearance at the China Open was her first tournament under Patrick Mouratoglou, the Frenchman best known for being the long-time former coach of Serena Williams.

Osaka has struggled for consistency since returning to tennis in January after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. Her best results since becoming a parent have been two quarter-final appearances.

The life of a professional athlete is one of precision. Despite the capacity for careful calculation, they understand there will always be elements beyond their control. This may be why many athletes lean just as much on their pregame rituals as they do on their months of preparation. Because in the seconds before the big match, tournament, or race, who wouldn’t want any help they could get? Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024 that will help athletes get competition-ready.

Also Read: Most Olympic Games without any medal: Monaco, Myanmar and Bangladesh in top 30

Superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024

Nadal's on-court tennis rituals

Rafael Nadal is well-known for his many behaviours, both superstitious and routine. The on-court routine of Rafael Nadal has been among the most discussed topics in tennis. In almost every match, the Spaniard takes a sip of each of his two bottles and places them in a certain position. He meticulously arranges his water bottles so that the labels face the same direction. He also follows a strict sequence of actions, such as not touching the court lines and performing a specific routine with his shirt, hair, and face before serving a shot.

Naomi Osaka and her superstitions about bottles

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka wants her water bottles to be completely aligned. She believes most athletes have very strong superstitions. Like Nadal, her ritual revolves around the precise arrangement of the bottles, making sure they are facing the same direction and placed in a specific order.

Also Read: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

Daniil Medvedev's eating habits

Daniil Medvedev also has the “crazy” rituals. He had one rigid routine that he followed before every match. Although Medvedev is pretty flexible when it comes to switching up his routines, he admitted there was one thing he always had to keep the same and couldn’t do even one second too late, which is his eating habits. Medvedev always eats exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before his matches.

Gianmarco Tamberi's signature look

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi known for his beard, which is half shaved, has been his signature style since 2011. Tamberi won the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After the competition, when he was presented with his gold medal during the awards ceremony, he stepped on the podium with his beard fully shaven. Tamberi has been ranked as the No. 1 high jumper in Europe for 135 weeks. He will carry the Italian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Carissa Moore's husband wears her lucky socks

American surfer Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion, has a unique superstition that relies not on herself but on her boyfriend. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion firmly believes that her boyfriend's socks bring her good fortune on the waves.

Also Read: How many sports will there be at the Paris Olympics 2024? Which are the new ones?

Vashti Cunningham watches 'Kill Bill'

Vashti Cunningham, the American high jumper watches Kill Bill, the night before every competition. She also does Bible study along with her father before going out and getting ready for warm-up and jumping.

The World's biggest Tennis tournament, Wimbledon or The Championships is the oldest Tennis tournament so far. It is considered as the most prestigious tournament. It has been organized at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. Grand Slam has four Tennis tournaments, and Wimbledon is one of them. The Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open are the other three tournaments. Wimbledon is the only tournament played on Grass courts.

Also Read: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

The Wimbledon Championship 2024 was the 137th time Championships. There were five main events, four junior events, and seven invitation events. Barbora Krejčíková in women's singles was proclaimed Wimbledon 2024 champion, she defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy. There are many more champions who have won women's singles titles. So, let's have a look at the women's Wimbledon Champion list from the last 10 years.

1. 2014 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Petra Kvitová

Petra Kvitova swept past Canada's Eugenie Bouchard with a stunning performance of controlled power to win her second Wimbledon title. The Czech sixth seed reclaimed the title she first won in 2011 with a 6-3 6-0 victory. It was the 24-year-old's second major title. Kvitova did a similar demolition job on Maria Sharapova to win Wimbledon for the first time three years ago. It was also the quickest ladies’ final at Wimbledon for 31 years, since Martina Navratilova, also a Czech and an even more famous left-hander, routed Andrea Jaeger in the 1983 final.

2. 2015 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Serena Williams

Serena Williams beat Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win Wimbledon for the sixth time and complete the 'Serena Slam' as the holder of all four major titles. The 33-year-old American won 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court to claim her 21st Grand Slam title and third of 2015. It's another mark in the history books for the player who many already consider the greatest woman to have ever played the game. Serena also became the oldest slam champion of the modern era by beating her excellent opponent, 12 years her junior. 

3. 2016 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Serena Williams

Serena Williams had finally won her 22nd Grand Slam title, besting Angelique Kerber in the finals at Wimbledon 2016. The American, 34, coped with a gusty wind on Centre Court to win 7-5 6-3. With this, she got her seventh singles title on the grass courts of The Championships, and she had finally tied Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open Era.

Also Read: Players who won the Golden Slam in their career

4. 2017 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Garbiñe Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza defeated Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 to clinch the 2017 Wimbledon women's singles championship, the second major title of her career. It was a strange contest, the first women’s final under the roof. The Spaniard finished as runner-up to the American's sister, Serena, in this same fixture two years ago but claimed some redemption after sailing to this year's crown.

5. 2018 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber beat seven-time champion Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title and spoil the American's dream comeback as a mother. The German 11th seed, 30, beat the 23-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 6-3 to add this title to her 2016 Australian Open and US Open crowns.

6. 2019 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Simona Halep

Simona Halep has made Wimbledon history by becoming the first Romanian to win the Grand Slam with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over seven-time champion Serena Williams. She won her first Grand Slam title at last year’s French Open but had gone into her first final here as the clear underdog.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

7. 2021 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Ash Barty

Ashleigh Barty claimed her first Wimbledon title - and second singles Grand Slam crown, beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 in a rollercoaster women's singles final. Barty, who claimed a first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros two years ago, was the first Australian to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the second of two Wimbledon titles in 1980. She was only the third Australian woman to triumph in the Open era, joining Goolagong Cawley (also the 1971 winner) and 1970 champion Margaret Court.

8. 2022 Wimbledon Championships winner- Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles championship with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory against No.3 Ons Jabeur.  After sealing her first championship point with a service winner, Rybakina celebrated the 1-hour, 48-minute win with barely a fist pump. In the first Wimbledon title match between first-time Grand Slam finalists of the Open Era,  Rybakina, 23, also became the youngest woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since 21-year-old Petra Kvitova in 2011. She was also the fourth-youngest active major champion on the Hologic WTA Tour, older than only Iga Swiatek, Bianca Andreescu, and Emma Raducanu.

9. 2023 Wimbledon Championships winner- Markéta Vondroušová

Markéta Vondroušová made history as the first unseeded player to win the ladies singles championship at Wimbledon in a stunning 6-4, 6-4 upset over the No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur, who was the runner-up for a second straight year. The 24-year-old lefty joins two other Czech-born left-handers, Martina Navratilova and Petra Kvitová to take home the Wimbledon title.

Also Read: Most Wimbledon Titles in Open Era (Men)

10. 2024 Wimbledon Championships winner- Barbora Krejčíková

Barbora Krejcikova is the Wimbledon ladies' singles champion after the 31st seed earned an impressive 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Jasmine Paolini to claim the title for the first time. Heading into the Wimbledon final, Krejcikova was a seven-time Major doubles champion, the 2021 French Open singles winner and an Olympic gold medallist. She had even completed the career Slam in doubles, winning each of the four big titles at least once.

Novak Djokovic moved one win closer to capturing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title when he ended 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti's dream in straight sets and sought revenge on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz match will be the rematch of last year's final which the Spaniard won in five sets.

Also Read: Most Grand Slam finals in tennis history

If the 37-year-old Serbian wins a record-tying 25th major on Sunday, he will become the oldest champion in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, leading Alcaraz 3-2 in the ATP head2head series, will be eager to avenge that defeat and equal Roger Federer's record eight Wimbledon crowns.

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz Match Info

• Men's Singles Final: July 14, Sunday
• Venue: AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground
• Location: London, England
• Court Surface: Grass

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Form against each other

In the past two years against one another, Djokovic has three wins and Alcaraz has one. In their last match, on November 18, 2023, Djokovic won 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic has clinched nine sets against Alcaraz (64.3%), while Alcaraz has taken five. In 136 total games against one another, Djokovic has taken 77, while Alcaraz has claimed 59. When going head-to-head, Alcaraz and Djokovic have averaged 34 games and 3.5 sets in their four matches against each other.

Djokovic's 2024 performance

Djokovic has captured zero tournament victories on the year, with an overall record of 16-6. In 2024, Djokovic hasn't yet played a match on grass. He is averaging 27.3 games per match (33.2 in best-of-five matches) through his 22 matches played this year across all court surfaces, posting a 57.7% game-winning percentage. Djokovic has put up a service game-winning percentage of 82.1% on all surfaces (247-for-301 in service games) and a return game-winning percentage of 33.1% (99-for-299 in return games).

Also Read: Most Matches Played in Grand Slam

Alcaraz's 2024 performance

Alcaraz has won two of his nine tournaments this year, with an overall match record of 32-6. He has a match record of 7-1 on grass courts so far this year. Alcaraz has competed in 38 matches this year (across all court types), and 26.6 games per match (34.4 in best-of-five matches). The World No. 3 has won 35.6% of his return games this year, while also winning 83.5% of his service games.

Emma Navarro stunned World No. 2, Coco Gauff in the R16 All-American clash at Wimbledon 2024 on Sunday. She defeated reigning US Open champion Gauff 6-4, 6-3 in just 1 hour and 14 minutes to reach the quarterfinals of a major tournament for the first time in her career. 

Also Read: Most Matches Played in Grand Slam

Second win over top two players

Gauff, who made the semi-finals at the Australian Open and French Open this year, has still to get past the last 16 at Wimbledon, the tournament, where she made her breakthrough as a 15-year-old in 2019. 

Navarro will next face Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon 2024 quarterfinals. Paolini made it to the last eight after Madison Keys retired at 5-5 in the third set. American 12th seed Keys was just one game away from a third quarter-final at the All England Club before she was forced to quit against Paolini.

Also Read: ITF announces entry list for Paris Olympics 2024

Lulu Sun defeats Emma Raducanu

Meanwhile, qualifier Lulu Sun has also reached the quarterfinals where she will face Donna Vekić, the world number 37, who clinched a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 win over Spain's Paula Badosa on the back of 33 winners. Sunn became the first New Zealand woman to reach the last eight at Wimbledon. She defeated 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Sun hit 52 winners against Raducanu, who took a medical time-out in the third set to treat problems with her ankle and back. This is the first time since 2010 that a qualifier in the women's category has entered the last eight.

Gauff's shock defeat followed the unexpected exit of world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round on Saturday. Only fourth-ranked 2022 champion Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, the world number seven, remain from the top 10 women.