Just two years ago, Naomi Osaka was struggling to understand why a sport that was “as simple as breathing to me” was leaving her bereft.

Struggling after her return from maternity leave in July 2023, Osaka said she did not “feel like I’m in my body”.

“It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to,” she wrote in August 2024.

“I try to tell myself, ‘It’s fine you’re doing great’. Mentally, it’s really draining.”

But on Centre Court on Sunday afternoon, Osaka found herself having more fun than she had in a long time.

Japan’s Osaka produced a stunning performance to knock world number one Aryna Sabalenka out of Wimbledon and reach the quarter-finals.

It was a display that two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin described as “the best we’ve seen Naomi Osaka since she came back”.

Asked afterwards what had changed for her, Osaka mentioned her coaching team and her mindset – as well as her mum’s cooking.

Osaka said: “My mum is over there, she cooks a lot and I feel like her cooking is powering me so I would really appreciate another meal tonight!

“She cooks a bunch of Japanese food, so shout out to Japanese food.

“It has been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court, so to do it here means a lot.”

By the time she was 23, Osaka had won two Australian Open and two US Open titles and had been at the top of the world rankings.

She also spoken openly about the pressure that comes with playing tennis. Osaka struggled with bouts of depression after winning her first major in 2018.

After briefly stepping away from tennis in 2021 to prioritise her mental health, Osaka took 15 months of maternity leave with daughter Shai.

In her absence, Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff – among others – won major titles and formed rivalries. Osaka struggled to fit in on her return.

But a 6-2 6-1 loss to Swiatek in Rome sparked a change.

“I felt like I just shut everyone out [after the loss]. I just got on a plane back home,” Osaka said.

“I didn’t talk to my team. I felt really ashamed about what I did.

“After that I just told myself I’m nearing 30, I’ve really got to enjoy the time I have.

“Tennis is very important to me, but I have a life outside of that. I have to treasure tennis in the way that I can, which is not putting too much importance on it.”

Osaka not only matched Sabalenka for pace but played with more control. While Sabalenka’s frustrations after a missed shot were met with a yell or a glare at her box, Osaka would turn her back on a fluffed shot, heels kicking up as she jogged back to the baseline.

She played with freedom, hitting 21 winners and winning 87% of points behind her first serve.

She credited coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who she joined up with in mid-2025, with her change in grass-court game.

“When I was younger, I used to be extremely low, to the point where I’d bang my knees on the ground and think maybe I need knee guards while I’m playing,” Osaka said.

“We all understood that I have potential to play really good on grass. I just need to figure out the movement part.

“I’ve done a lot of drills with Tomasz. Most of them weren’t necessarily even on the grass court. It was more like pattern recognition and getting me comfortable with my own game.

“Throughout the entire year, he’s been getting me more comfortable with my movement.”

Osaka also credits her calmness with having her family around her in London.

The family stay in a house together and celebrated Shai’s third birthday on Thursday – although Osaka did tell Friday’s Court One crowd that she’d had put her daughter in time-out because “she was kind of bad”.

Quarter-final opponent Karolina Muchova – a crafty player who will counter Osaka’s pace with spin and guile – will be a tough test, but she will come up against a “looser, calmer, and more ready” Osaka.

“Osaka probably thought it [her return] was taking way too long – this time last year she wasn’t even ranked in the top 50,” Austin said on BBC TV.

“She has done a great job of getting more consistent, she is fitter than I’ve ever seen her and she is so committed to being controlled out there.”