Naomi Osaka Ends Sabalenka’s Streak to Reach Wimbledon Last Eight

Osaka knocks out Sabalenka at Wimbledon

Osaka’s win over Sabalenka marked her first Slam meeting with the Belarusian in 8 years and blew the Wimbledon women’s draw wide open.

Sabalenka’s Wimbledon run ends as Osaka dominates in fourth-round upset...

Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon run ended in the fourth round on Sunday as Naomi Osaka produced an inspired performance, storming to a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory on Centre Court.

The match between the two Grand Slam champions - 8 titles between them - was the marquee contest on Day Seven, but 14th seed Osaka took control early and the clash never reached the heights many expected.

Sabalenka vented in frustration throughout a 32-minute first set as her usually dominant power game failed to click.

The second set delivered more of the battle fans were hoping for, but a composed Osaka held her nerve. She ended Sabalenka’s run of 21 straight Grand Slam tiebreak wins and secured her biggest victory since coming back to the Tour in 2024 after having her daughter, Shai.

After failing to convert match point, Sabalenka let her frustration show by hammering a ball high over the stands and out of the stadium.

The victory sent Osaka into the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in her career, and it also turned the draw on its head with the top three seeds now eliminated.

“I think it was a really fun match. I'm really grateful for this. Even if I lost, I would still think it was a great match,” Osaka said after her first victory on Centre Court.

“I mean, it's been a long time since I've had so much fun on the court. To do it ⁠here, it really means a lot. I lost to her like three times in a row, so that really sucked.

“So I wanted to turn it over.”

After third-round defeats for defending champion Iga Swiatek and second seed Elena Rybakina on Saturday, the door had finally swung wide open for Sabalenka after ‌three successive semi-final runs, but she was well below her best.

“Now I want to go and get drunk and forget about tennis,” the 28-year-old said after arriving at her press conference minutes after walking off court.

Both are regarded as hardcourt players first, with four Grand Slam titles each won on that surface.

 

Born just seven months apart, the two have had very different paths. Osaka claimed all four of her majors before Sabalenka, who is slightly younger, won her first.

It was their first Slam meeting since 8 years ago, when Osaka got the better of Sabalenka en route to winning the US Open.

Osaka’s Japanese-inspired walk-on outfits have turned heads again, but it’s her tennis that’s starting to grab the most attention.

From the first point on Sunday, Osaka came out aggressive. Her sharp service returns kept putting Sabalenka on the back foot, and two breaks were enough to take the opening set.

Sabalenka did everything she could to spark herself, even tapping her racket against her head early in set two. She managed to stay with Osaka, but never really looked settled.

Osaka stayed steady and raced through the tiebreak to book a quarter-final spot against 10th seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.