Naomi Osaka believes she can win another Grand Slam despite Wimbledon defeat

[p]The Japanese star lifted the last of her four major trophies at the 2021 Australian Open and raised hopes of ending that five-year wait when she downed world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] in the last 16 at the All England Club.[/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Osaka[/a] could not back that performance up, slipping to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/muchova-k-Or4Qa1ye/osaka-n-MDM4BKiA/?mid=tjJDwOtB"]7-6(4), 6-4[/a] loss to Czech 10th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muchova-karolina/Or4Qa1ye/"]Karolina Muchova[/a].[/p][p]It was her latest disappointing defeat in the latter stages of a Grand Slam tournament, after losing to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anisimova-amanda/nwkutKbi/"]Amanda Anisimova[/a] in last year's US Open semi-finals.[/p][p][b]"I know my results don't show it, but whenever I play a Slam, my intention is to win," [/b]said Osaka, who had never before got past the Wimbledon third round.[/p][embed guid="c1bd34a5-df2b-4747-9b95-c3cac7cec14e" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2074551614107468217" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"Obviously last year I got to the semis (at the US Open). I wanted so desperately to be in the final to have that opportunity, but Amanda played insane...[/b][/p][p][b]"This one is a little more upsetting to me because I feel like there was so much more I could have done.[/b][/p][p][b]"I think maybe I should find the positive in that because I've gotten to the quarters and I feel like I can still improve so much as a player.[/b][/p][p][b]"I feel like in my head I think there's still an opportunity to win a Slam."[/b][/p][p]Osaka won two Australian Opens and two US Opens between 2018 and 2021 and was ranked number one in the world.[/p][p]She later took a break to protect her mental health and struggled to find her top form after returning to the WTA Tour.[/p][p]Osaka then did not play in 2023 after giving birth to her first child.[/p][p]The 28-year-old took a while to climb back up the rankings after returning, but is now closer to her best, having also reached the French Open last 16 for the first time last month.[/p][embed guid="7431107c-d64c-44f2-be32-81bc1264c72f" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2074536849138123150" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"The tournament as a whole, it's the furthest I've gotten here," [/b]added Osaka of her Wimbledon run.[/p][p][b]"For me, that's a positive. Obviously I would have loved to get a lot farther.[/b][/p][p][b]"If I think about my match today, it's hard for me to immediately think of something positive.[/b][/p][p][b]"I feel like it's hard because I played so well in my last match, then today I just feel like I didn't play well at all and I didn't have any energy.[/b][/p][p][b]"I mean, the score was pretty good for what it was, I guess."[/b][/p][p]Osaka will next turn her attention to the hard-court campaign, the surface on which she has won all seven of her WTA titles, including those four Slams.[/p][infobox id="e4d8200d-597f-48d7-83c2-d394f1217426" /]