LONDON — Japan’s Naomi Osaka advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time after defeating Australia’s Daria Kasatkina, 6-1, 6-3, on Friday at the All England Club.
The victory ended Osaka’s previous run of third-round exits in her five main-draw appearances at Wimbledon and earned her a place in the tournament’s last 16.
The 28-year-old needed 65 minutes to defeat Kasatkina on Court One. She will next face either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
“I’m really happy. In my career I’d never won on this court. I’m just glad to have made a really good memory here,” Osaka said.
“I’ve played a lot of matches on grass over the last few weeks. I’m feeling really confident. I hope I’m able to get further and further,” she added.
Osaka again drew attention before the match by wearing a ceremonial-style white kimono designed by Tokyo-based fashion designer Hana Yagi before changing into her playing attire. The outfit featured cherry blossom details inspired by Japan.
She previously wore a kimono-inspired outfit in the first round and a wedding dress-inspired design before her second-round match. Earlier this year, she also wore themed outfits at the Australian Open and the French Open.
Osaka entered Wimbledon after reaching her first grass-court final at the Bad Homburg Open in June, where she retired in the second set because of an ankle injury.
At Wimbledon, she has recorded straight-set victories over Elsa Jacquemot, Anastasia Gasanova and Kasatkina.
The 14th-seeded Osaka has reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam for only the second time since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
She lost to Sabalenka in the fourth round of the French Open in June and could face the Belarusian again if Sabalenka advances.
Kasatkina entered the match ranked No. 65 in the world after her ranking dropped over the past 18 months while dealing with a hip injury and inconsistent results.
