Osaka beats Sabalenka to make first Wimbledon quarterfinal
Naomi Osaka defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets on Centre Court and will face Karolina Muchova next.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Naomi Osaka reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time Sunday, beating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) on Centre Court, according to AFP. The result ended Sabalenka’s attempt to make a 15th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal and gave Osaka her first win on Wimbledon’s main court.
AFP reported that Osaka, seeded 14th, has not lost a set through her first four matches at the All England Club. She next plays Czechia’s 10th seed Karolina Muchova for a place in the semifinals.
The win also reversed the pattern of their recent meetings. Sabalenka had beaten Osaka three times in 2026, winning on hard courts at Indian Wells, on clay in Madrid and again in the French Open last 16, according to AFP.
“For me, this court is so special. This is the first match I’ve won on this court. It means a lot,” Osaka said after the match. “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.”
Osaka added: “I lost to her three times in a row. That really sucked. I wanted to have the opportunity to overturn that.”
Osaka controls first set
Osaka broke Sabalenka in the third game of the opening set with a backhand winner, AFP reported. She then kept pressure on from the baseline and broke again as Sabalenka struggled to find timing.
AFP reported that Sabalenka left the court for a break before the second set after losing the first. The Belarusian, who has had difficulties in windy conditions, remained unsettled as Osaka pushed the match into a tiebreak.
Sabalenka had won her previous 21 Grand Slam tiebreaks, according to AFP. Osaka broke that streak, taking the tiebreak 7-2 to close out the match in straight sets.
Sabalenka’s Wimbledon wait continues
Sabalenka, also a four-time Grand Slam champion, had reached the semifinals in each of her previous three Wimbledon appearances, AFP reported. She has yet to reach the final at the tournament.
The loss followed Sabalenka’s French Open quarterfinal defeat to Russia’s Diana Shnaider, according to AFP. At Wimbledon, her run ended in the last 16 against an opponent who had not previously gone beyond the third round at the tournament.
Osaka’s latest Grand Slam title came at the Australian Open five years ago, AFP reported. Since working with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who previously coached Iga Swiatek, Osaka reached the US Open semifinals last year and has carried that form into 2026.
AFP reported that Osaka has also drawn attention at Wimbledon for her walk-on outfits, including a kimono, a bomber jacket with a long train and a cloak resembling an open kimono. Osaka has said the focus on her clothing has helped reduce pressure on her tennis.
After the win, Osaka credited her mother’s cooking during the tournament. “She cooks a lot. I feel like her cooking is powering me,” Osaka said. “I would like another meal tonight. She cooks a lot of Japanese food.”
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.