Naomi Osaka defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time.
Published July 5, 2026
Naomi Osaka defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), making the Japanese star advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time.
Osaka put on a stunning performance on Center Court on Sunday, defeating fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, avenging her loss to Sabalenka in straight sets in June’s French Open round of 16.
It’s been five years since Osaka lifted her most recent Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open.
Reinvigorated by Tomasz Wiktorowski, the coach who coached Polish player Iga Swiatek, Osaka reached the semi-finals of the US Open last year and carried that momentum into 2026.
Osaka has yet to drop a set in her opening four matches at Wimbledon.
The No. 14 seed is finally finding her groove on the grass, thanks to some eye-catching outfits on court.
Her walk-on costume includes a kimono, a bomber jacket with a long train, and a cloak that makes it look like the kimono has been blown off.
The 28-year-old believes the buzz around haute couture has helped ease the pressure on tennis.
Once again, she dressed her fans in memorable outfits before delivering a bespoke performance as Sabalenka’s Wimbledon challenge ended in a crushing defeat in the last 16.
Osaka will face 10th seed Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) for a spot in the final four.
“For me, this court is very special. This is the first match I won on this court, so it means a lot,” Osaka said after the win.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun on the court, and it really means a lot to be able to do it here.
“I lost to her three times in a row. It was really bad. I wanted a chance to reverse that.”
Power up Win with mom’s home cooking
Osaka credited her mother’s cooking, which she watched from the players’ seats, as an inspiration for last week’s success, adding, “She cooks a lot. I feel like her cooking gives me strength. I want to eat one more dish tonight. She makes a lot of Japanese food.”
Osaka and Sabalenka have already met three times in 2026, with the Belarusian winning on the hard courts of Indian Wells and on the clay courts of Madrid and Roland Garros.
But Sabalenka’s bid to reach the Grand Slam quarterfinals for the 15th consecutive year came to an abrupt halt.
The Belarusian, also 28, has never made it to the final, losing in the semi-finals on each of his last three visits to Wimbledon.
Sabalenka unexpectedly lost to Russia’s Diana Schneider in the quarterfinals of the French Open, another heartbreaking result for a player who has had a history of unexpected failures.
Osaka broke Sabalenka in the third game of the first set with a powerful backhand.
Osaka’s brutal groundstrokes from the baseline shook Sabalenka enough for the Belarusian to scream in agony after being broken for a second time.
Sabalenka, who famously struggles in windy conditions, completely lost her rhythm and ran off court for a break before the second set.
As Osaka took the set to a tiebreak, Sabalenka repeatedly hit her head with her racket. Although she had won the previous 21 tiebreakers at Grand Slam tournaments, Osaka remained unfazed and stormed to victory.
