The heat wave currently oppressing Europe is likely to play a part at the Bad Homburg Open. Players, such as Naomi Osaka and Ekaterina Alexandrova, not only have to beat each other, but also have to have the stamina needed to get through the hot temperatures, too.
The highs on Thursday were expected to be 97 degrees. That could certainly play a part in a player's drive to want to push harder if they fell behind. That was the case for Alexandrova against Osaka in the quarterfinal match. After the first set reached 2-all, the Japanese player went on an astonishing run.
For three straight games, Osaka didn't drop a point. She only lost one point in the last four games of the set. Rarely does a player so thoroughly dominate another when both are capable of excellence. What was difficult to tell was whether Alexandrova was extremely disappointed in her form, or being defeated by the heat, or both.
Naomi Osaka destroys Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Bad Homburg Open
The Russian being broken three straight times in the opening set also didn't help her to begin set two. Osaka was able to hold with ease to take the early advantage.
To be fair to Osaka, she was playing near her best, so heat or not, she was going to be difficult to defeat for any player. Alexandrova is capable of excellence, but not at the level Osaka can. There is a reason that the Japanese player has won four Grand Slams.
The Japanese player was still destroying with her forehand whatever Alexandrova sent her way. The Russian was powerless to defend when Osaka hit a groundstroke with that wing. It was brutally proficient tennis by the former WTA No. 1.
Osaka was able to finish the match in exactly one hour, important as that means she didn't have to deal with the heat for too long. After a last break of Ekaterina Alexandrova, Osaka won the second set 6-2.
The question moving forward, beyond the Bad Homburg Open, is whether Osaka can keep the same level at Wimbledon. If she can, she will be a real threat to win the grass-court major. The best Osaka has done previously in London is reach the third round. She has the serve to win on grass, though, and the rest of the WTA might learn that beginning Monday, June 29.
Naomi Osaka will next face Xinyu Wang in the semifinals. Wang might have a slight advantage as she didn't have to play in the heat on Thursday. Her quarterfinal opponent at the Bad Hamburg Open, Elina Svitolina, had to withdraw due to a hip issue.
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