The number two ranked player, Naomi Osaka, was ousted from Wimbledon after just two sets in the opening round. Unseeded at Wimbledon, but ranked 39th in the world, Yulia Putintseva defeated Osaka 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Osaka lost her number one ranking due in large part to a previous matchup with Putintseva just 12 days ago. The defeat happened at the 2019 Birmingham Classic, that Ashleigh Barty went on to win and now has the top ranking.
A few days ago Osaka said that no longer having the number one next to her name has made her more relaxed. It created “more stress and pressure than (she) could have imagined.” She went on to add, “I don’t think there was anything that could have prepared me for that, especially since I’m kind of an overthinker.”
Even without the top ranking the pressure seemed to mount to be too much for Osaka. But all the credit does go to Putintseva who has beaten Osaka in all three matches they have played in.
Osaka jumped onto the scene and limelight with her win over Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open and then followed it up with a 2019 Australian Open. Perhaps Osaka plays better as a lower seed and someone who is not expected to win. But that does create a unique paradox since the more you win the higher the seed you become.