Naomi Osaka Suffers Early Exit at Ecotrans Ladies Open

There is no doubt that Naomi Osaka is looking more like her old self on the court. Unfortunately, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion suffered a setback on Tuesday in Berlin, Germany.

Zheng Qinwen defeated Osaka in a thrilling three-set match at the 2024 ecotrans Ladies Open. Qinwen defeated Osaka 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to advance to the round-of-16 matchup against Katerina Siniakova.

Not only has Osaka struggled on grass courts throughout her career, but she has also lost to Qinwen two out of the three times they have played each other. In the match, Qinwen showed off her power by hitting 22 aces.

Qinwen doing queenwen things 👑

In a First Round battle, Qinwen Zheng defeats Naomi Osaka 6-4, 3-6, 6-3!#ecotransLadiesOpen pic.twitter.com/Dtu7NQqVVi
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 18, 2024

After the match, Qinwen showered Osaka with praise. "Naomi Osaka is always one of the greatest players, she has a strong serve, she hits hard. It's never easy to play against her."

It was certainly a tough draw for both opponents. However, Qinwen explained how it did not change her mindset entering the highly-anticipated match.

Qinwen Zheng had kind words for Naomi Osaka after beating her in Berlin:

Qinwen: “Naomi Osaka is always one of the greatest players, she has a strong serve, she hits hard. It’s never easy to play against her.” ❤️

“When you figured out you were playing Naomi in the first round,… pic.twitter.com/a9CgwA8Rgg
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 18, 2024

"Honestly, for me, it doesn't matter who I play. I've played her on all surfaces now. It's a tough opponent for the first round. I'm happy I gave my best today and got my first win in this tournament after three years."

Luckily for Osaka, grass court season is just beginning. Wimbledon starts on June 24, while the main draw runs from July 1 to July 14. Fans can count on Sports Illustrated for all the most important news from the tennis world.