Naomi Osaka continued to build momentum on grass courts as she cruised past Elise Mertens in straight sets at the 2026 Bad Homburg Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion and sixth seed secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory over the world No. 26 on Tuesday, marking her first quarterfinal appearance of the WTA season.
Naomi Osaka Dominates Elise Mertens at WTA Grass Event
From the outset, Osaka asserted her dominance, surging to a commanding 5-0 lead in the opening set. Although Mertens mounted a brief comeback, capturing three consecutive games to narrow the gap, Osaka regained composure and closed out the first set. In the second set, she secured a crucial break to seal the match in just over an hour.
Osaka’s serving proved a decisive factor throughout the encounter. She delivered seven aces and maintained an impressive 86% success rate on her first serve, further extending her career head-to-head record against Mertens to 5-3. This performance followed a confident 6-4, 6-1 victory over Magdalena Frech in the opening round, signaling that Osaka’s baseline consistency is adapting effectively to the grass surface.
Looking ahead, Osaka will face the winner of the upcoming Round of 16 match between Ekaterina Alexandrova and reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva. Should 19-year-old Andreeva advance, their meeting would be a fresh encounter and could offer a preview of potential clashes at Wimbledon next week.