Naomi Osaka produced one of the biggest upsets of this year’s Wimbledon on Sunday, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) to reach the quarter-finals at the All England Club for the first time.
The Japanese star avenged her straight-sets defeat to Sabalenka in the French Open fourth round last month, eliminating the Belarusian with a composed and powerful display on Centre Court.
It marks Osaka’s first Wimbledon quarter-final and continues an impressive resurgence under coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, the former mentor of Iga Swiatek.
The 28-year-old, who last won a Grand Slam title at the 2021 Australian Open, reached the US Open semi-finals last year and has carried that momentum into 2026.
Seeded 14th, Osaka has yet to drop a set through four matches at Wimbledon, underlining her growing confidence on grass.
Her eye-catching pre-match outfits—including a kimono-inspired ensemble, a bomber jacket with a flowing train and a dramatic cloak—have become a talking point during the tournament, with Osaka joking that the attention has helped ease the pressure on her tennis.
She once again made a memorable entrance before producing an equally memorable performance to end Sabalenka’s title challenge.
Osaka will face Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova for a place in the semi-finals.
“For me, this court is so special. This is the first match I’ve won on this court. It means a lot,” Osaka said.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court, and to do it here really means a lot.
“I lost to her three times in a row. That really sucked. I wanted to have the opportunity to overturn that.”
Mother’s cooking fuels Osaka
Osaka also credited her mother’s home-cooked meals for helping inspire her run.
“She cooks a lot. I feel like her cooking is powering me. I would like another meal tonight. She cooks a lot of Japanese food,” she said.
The pair had already met three times in 2026, with Sabalenka prevailing at Indian Wells, Madrid and Roland Garros.
But the Belarusian’s bid for a 15th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearance came to an abrupt end.
Sabalenka, who had reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in each of her previous three appearances without making the final, suffered another disappointing exit after also falling in the French Open quarter-finals earlier this year.
Osaka seized control early, breaking serve in the third game of the opening set with a blistering backhand winner before overwhelming Sabalenka with relentless baseline hitting.
The world number one struggled to find her rhythm in difficult, windy conditions and left the court for a brief break after dropping the opening set.
Although Sabalenka raised her level in the second set, she grew increasingly frustrated, even striking her racket against her head as the contest headed into a tie-break.
Having won her previous 21 Grand Slam tie-breaks, Sabalenka was expected to have the edge, but Osaka dominated the breaker to seal one of the finest victories of her comeback.
AFP
