Wimbledon 2024 Draw: Naomi Osaka's projected path to the final ft. Potential 4R showdown with Coco Gauff

Naomi Osaka is all set to make her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2019. The former World No. 1 has received a wildcard entry for the women's singles draw at SW19.

Osaka is unseeded at the grass-court Major and has thereby received a difficult draw. That said, she will be eager to improve on her career-best result at the All England Club - which is reaching the third round (2017, 2018).

Below, we take a look at her potential opponents at Wimbledon this year:

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Naomi Osaka's 1R opponent - Diane Parry

Diane Parry prepares to serve

Naomi Osaka opens her campaign against World No. 53 Diane Parry. The Frenchwoman enjoyed respectable results during this month's grass-court swing, reaching the semifinals of the Nottingham Open.

Osaka and Parry have never met on the WTA Tour, which means the first round of Wimbledon will mark their first encounter. While the match-up seems tough for the Japanese star, she got substantial match practice on grass (making it to the last eight at the Libema Open) and will be the favorite to go through to the second round.

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Naomi Osaka's potential 2R opponent - Emma Navarro or Wang Qiang

Emma Navarro hits a backhand

The four-time Major winner could then face either 19th-seeded Emma Navarro or China's Wang Qiang in the second round of Wimbledon. While Navarro is currently competing in the semifinals of the Bad Homburg Open, Qiang is relatively inexperienced when it comes to tour-level events.

The 26-year-old will most likely have to beat Navarro, who she has yet to face on the pro tour, to reach the third round. While she has a daunting task ahead of her, an attacking game will give her a good chance of achieving the feat.

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Naomi Osaka's potential 3R opponent - Victoria Azarenka or Karolina Pliskova

Karolina Pliskova hits a forehand

Naomi Osaka is next projected to face 16th-seeded Victoria Azarenka or grass-court specialist Karolina Pliskova, both of whom have also been previously ranked No. 1 on the WTA Tour. Both Azarenka and Pliskova did well during this year's lead-up to Wimbledon; while the former reached the semifinals of the Libema Open, the latter finished runner-up at the Nottingham Open.

Osaka leads the Belarusian 3-1 in their head-to-head meetings, but trails the Czech 2-5. The Japanese should take pride in her campaign if she manages to match her career-best result at the All England Club.

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Naomi Osaka's potential 4R opponent - Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff won her first Major title at the 2023 US Open

Should the former World No. 1 make it to the second week of Wimbledon, she will most likely face second-seeded Coco Gauff for a place in the quarterfinals. The 20-year-old American is coming into the grass-court Major with optimal preparation, having reached the semifinals of the ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin.

Gauff has also been in good form at the Majors lately, reaching the last four at the Australian Open and Roland Garros following her maiden Major triumph at last year's US Open. She will be well-prepared for her fifth career encounter with Osaka, provided the Japanese reaches that far.

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Naomi Osaka's potential QF opponent - Jasmine Paolini / Madison Keys / Marta Kostyuk

Jasmine Paolini hits a forehand

Naomi Osaka and her team will be patting her on the back if she records her first quarterfinal appearance at a non-hardcourt Major. However, it will be tough for her to advance further, as she can face either 2024 French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini, former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Madison Keys or the big-hitting Marta Kostyuk.

Osaka will most likely have to fight past Keys, the best player on grass among the above trio, for a last-four spot at SW19. Tthe Japanese also trails their head-to-head by a margin of 1-3, giving her potentially low odds of overcoming the American, provided they meet.

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Naomi Osaka's potential SF opponent - Aryna Sabalenka / Zheng Qinwen

Aryna Sabalenka poses with the 2024 Australian Open title

Osaka could renew her rivalry with either Aryna Sabalenka or Zheng Qinwen, if she manages to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon. While the Japanese overcame the Belarusian to win her maiden Major title at the US Open six years ago, she was recently defeated by the Chinese in the first round of the grass-court WTA 500 event in Berlin.

For what it's worth, neither Sabalenka nor Qinwen have won a title on grass. Their respective playing styles, however, are both well-suited to the surface and not very unlike Osaka's. In that context, she will have to play her best match to beat either of her projected last-four opponents.

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Naomi Osaka's potential final opponent - Iga Swiatek / Elena Rybakina

Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek greet each other after their 2024 French Open clash

Naomi Osaka is projected to face either World No. 1 Iga Swiatek or 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the title clash at SW19, provided she makes it this far. While the Japanese and Swiatek are yet to meet on the WTA Tour, she wasted a match point and a 6-7(1) 6-1, 5-2 lead over the Czech player during their second-round encounter at the French Open last month.

The Pole eventually went on to win her fourth title on the terre battue without dropping a single set. For that reason alone, the former World No. 1 will be keen on reaching the final and booking a rematch with Swiatek.