Coco Gauff is spending the week before Wimbledon fulfilling sponsor commitments in London, while Naomi Osaka is taking a different approach, putting in the work in Bad Homburg to gain valuable grass-court preparation ahead of the Grand Slam.
Whether competing in warm-up events or practicing for the upcoming tournament, the majority of tennis players are grappling with the European heatwave sweeping across the continent.
Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka Share Their Feelings About the Hot Conditions in Europe
Gauff enters Wimbledon with relatively little match play under her belt on grass this season. She has competed at just one warm-up event before the grass Major, the Berlin Tennis Open. In singles, the American received a bye in the first round and was beaten by Paula Badosa 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in her opening match.
Meanwhile, in doubles, she and Jessica Pegula won their first doubles match against Anastasia Potapova and Diana Shnaider but were beaten in the next round by Asia Muhammad and Fanny Stollár. Following her early exit, many expected Gauff to seek a wildcard into either Bad Homburg or Eastbourne. Instead, she appears to have left the week free to fulfill her off-court commitments.
On Tuesday, Gauff attended the launch of her New Balance x Miu Miu Wimbledon collection, where she was quizzed about the heatwave in London. While she described the heat as “rough” in everyday life, the American star said she was comfortable playing in it, having grown accustomed to such conditions in Florida.
“Playing in it is not too bad because I’m from Florida, but just existing in it is rough because the A.C. is not in all places,” she said during her interview with Dazed.
Players have been coping with the consequences of extreme temperatures across France, Germany, and Great Britain, where tournaments are presently underway.
Naomi Osaka has made her grass debut at the ongoing Bad Homburg Open, where she is seeded sixth. While players at the tournament have had to contend with extreme heat, the challenging conditions have done little to hinder Osaka’s performances.
“Honestly, I’m pretty heat tolerant. Aside from doing interviews and stuff like that, I really love the heat. I kind of prefer it,” Osaka, who also grew up training in Florida, told the WTA.
The Japanese star referenced her fourth-round appearance at the French Open, where players had to compete in challenging conditions. “It was hot in Paris a few weeks ago, and I also enjoyed that. So I kind of want it to be hot.”
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Osaka has reached the quarterfinals in Bad Homburg after promising victories against Magdalena Fręch (6-4, 6-1) and Elise Mertens (6-3, 6-3). She faces Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the semifinal. She is chasing her first grass-court title and the eighth tour-level title of her career at the tournament.
