Naomi Osaka defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal, ending a difficult head-to-head history.
Naomi Osaka delivered one of the biggest wins of her comeback on Sunday, defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (2) to reach her first ever Wimbledon quarterfinal.
According to ESPN reports, the win came on the tournament’s warmest day so far, with temperatures reaching 82 degrees, conditions that seemed to amplify the pace already behind Osaka’s flat, hard-hitting groundstrokes.
The result was especially significant given the history between the two. Sabalenka had beaten Osaka in all three of their meetings earlier this year, including at the same stage of the French Open last month, and Osaka entered the match having never beaten a top 10 opponent at a non-hard-court event across 13 previous attempts.
Fans reacted to the shift online, with one Threads user under the handle @thedailywsports noting that Osaka’s win snapped Sabalenka’s streak of 21 consecutive tiebreaks won at majors, a record ESPN confirmed was the longest in Open era history for either the men’s or women’s tour.
Sabalenka didn’t hold back in crediting her opponent afterward. “She overpowered me,” she said, according to ESPN. “I felt like it was incredible level from her.” Osaka, for her part, described the win as a chance to flip the script after a frustrating run against Sabalenka this season. “That really sucked,” she said. “So I wanted to like turn it over, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do that.”
It marked Osaka’s first win over a world No. 1 since defeating Ash Barty back in 2019, well before her mental health-related breaks from the tour and a maternity leave that sidelined her for all of 2023. During her on-court interview, Osaka gave an unusual nod to her support system, telling ESPN her mother’s Japanese cooking was fueling her run and asking for “another meal tonight” while her mother responded from the stands by forming a heart with her hands.
One Threads post from @truth_hasno_party summed up the moment simply: “They counted her out three times this year. Today Naomi Osaka beat the No. 1 player on Earth straight sets, Centre Court, first time ever.”
Osaka will next face Karolina Muchova, who advanced by defeating 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova in three sets.
