Cover These six Asian players made their mark at Wimbledon 2025
These six Asian players made their mark at Wimbledon 2025
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From Grand Slam champions like Naomi Osaka to rising talents such as Shintaro Mochizuki and Xinyu Wang, these Asian players have made waves at Wimbledon 2025
Over the past decade, tennis has experienced significant growth across Asia, driven in part by Li Na’s trailblazing Grand Slam victories, which sparked a surge in interest in the sport and inspired athletes in China and beyond. Her legacy endures, not just in stadiums bearing her name but in a new generation of players reshaping the sport.
Nowhere is that momentum more apparent than at Wimbledon. As the sport’s oldest and most prestigious championship, Wimbledon has long stood as the pinnacle of tennis excellence, and this year, players from all across Asia are leaving their mark. From household names to up-and-coming challengers, Tatler highlights five standout Asian players taking to the All England Lawn in 2025 with something to prove.
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Naomi Osaka (Japan)
Above Naomi Osaka donning Wimbledon whites (Photo: Instagram / @naomiosakanews)
Naomi Osaka donning Wimbledon whites (Photo: Instagram / @naomiosakanews)
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Born to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, Naomi Osaka became the first Asian player to be ranked number 1 in the world. With four Grand Slam titles—the US Open in 2018 and 2020 and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021—she has established herself as one of the most successful and influential players of her generation. Her tournament wins and high-profile endorsements have made her one of the highest-paid female athletes globally. Off the court, she is also known for using her platform to speak out about racial injustice, anti-Asian hate and mental health, sparking vital conversations across the sporting world.
This year, Osaka reached the third round at Wimbledon before falling to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. After the match, she admitted she had “nothing positive to say” about herself, but later shared a reflective post inspired by a conversation with her father. Looking back on her career, she acknowledged how pressure had often overshadowed her achievements and vowed to focus more on enjoying the game moving forward rather than focusing solely on her setbacks.
Yuki Bhambri (India)
Above Yuki Bhambri had a 3rd round finish in the Gentlemen’s Doubles and 2nd round finish in Mixed Doubles (Photo: Instagram / @yukiibhambri)
Yuki Bhambri had a 3rd round finish in the Gentlemen’s Doubles and 2nd round finish in Mixed Doubles (Photo: Instagram / @yukiibhambri)
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Born in New Delhi, India, in 1992, Yuki Bhambri has carved out a name for himself in the doubles circuit after an early start in singles. Inspired by his tennis-playing sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, Bhambri turned pro in 2008 and made headlines a year later by winning the Australian Open Junior Championship—becoming the first Indian to do so—and rising to number 1 in the junior world rankings. Though his singles career was hindered by injuries, he has found renewed success in doubles. In March 2025, he overtook Rohan Bopanna to become India’s top-ranked doubles player and achieved a career-high ATP ranking of No. 26.
At Wimbledon this year, Bhambri and his American partner Robert Galloway advanced to the men’s doubles pre-quarterfinals on July 7 and put up a fight before being edged out. Though his run ended earlier than hoped, Bhambri is steadily proving himself as a doubles contender on the world stage.
Qinwen Zheng (China)
Above Qinwen Zheng made it to the quarterfinals at Rolland Garros in May 2025 (Photo: Instagram / @zhengqinwen_tennis)
Qinwen Zheng made it to the quarterfinals at Rolland Garros in May 2025 (Photo: Instagram / @zhengqinwen_tennis)
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Nicknamed “Queenwen”, Qinwen Zheng has emerged as one of China’s most promising tennis stars. Born in Hubei in 2002—the same province as her idol, Li Na—Zheng began playing tennis at the age of seven and soon moved to cities such as Wuhan, Beijing and Barcelona to pursue her dream. Her breakout year came in 2023, when she won her first WTA title in Palermo and struck gold at the Asian Games. In 2024, she reached the Australian Open final and became the women’s singles champion at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first Chinese player ever to claim Olympic gold in that category. That run helped her finish the year ranked No. 5, and by mid-2025, she had climbed to a career-high No. 4 after a stellar season.
Wimbledon, however, continues to prove unlucky for Zheng, as this year marked her third consecutive first-round exit after she fell to Kateřina Siniaková in a surprise upset. Still, her strong results across the tour leave no doubt that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Shintaro Mochizuki (Japan)
Above Shintaro Mochizuki at the ATP Challenger 125 event in Ilkley (Photo: courtesy of ATP tour)
Shintaro Mochizuki at the ATP Challenger 125 event in Ilkley (Photo: courtesy of ATP tour)
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Born in Kawasaki, Japan, in 2003, Shintaro Mochizuki gained international recognition when he became the first Japanese player to win a junior Grand Slam after claiming the Wimbledon boys’ singles title in 2019 (despite having played just one grass-court event beforehand). That milestone propelled him to become the junior world No. 1 shortly after and laid the groundwork for his transition to the professional circuit. Backed by the Masaki Morita Fund, Mochizuki moved halfway across the world to train at IMG Academy in Florida from the ages of 13 to 18. He has since returned to his roots and is now based in Japan.
Mochizuki is climbing steadily through the ATP ranks. He reached a career-high number 129 in November 2023 and made his Grand Slam debut that same year at the 2023 Wimbledon. At this year’s tournament, he advanced to the second round after defeating Giulio Zeppieri in his opener, before falling to Karen Khachanov. Currently the number 3 Japanese player, Mochizuki is building on his junior legacy with persistence and may soon become a household name in the tennis world.
Xinyu Wang (China)
Above In the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Wang Xinyu achieved her best Grand Slam result by reaching the Round of 16 (Photo: courtesy of WTA tennis)
In the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Wang Xinyu achieved her best Grand Slam result by reaching the Round of 16 (Photo: courtesy of WTA tennis)
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Born in Shenzhen in 2001 to a basketball-playing mother and a tennis coach father, Xinyu Wang seemed destined for a career in professional sports. She began playing tennis at the age of six and was coached by her father, Peng Wang, a former captain of the Fed Cup team. Inspired by Li Na’s 2011 French Open win, Wang set her sights on Grand Slam success and is diligently working towards that dream.
In 2024, she reached the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, her best Grand Slam result to date, and won a silver medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics alongside Zhizhen Zhang. She also claimed a WTA 1000 semifinal spot in Wuhan and lifted the Roland-Garros doubles title with Hsieh Su-Wei in 2023. Currently ranked No. 32 in singles, Wang made her first WTA final in Berlin this year but fell in the second round at Wimbledon 2025 to Zeynep Sönmez. As the No. 2 Chinese female player, Wang is establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with.
