Naomi Osaka advanced at Wimbledon by defeating Aryna Sabalenka, a performance marked by increased control and freedom on the court. Osaka matched Sabalenka's pace while demonstrating improved command of her game, hitting 21 winners and winning 87% of her first-serve points.
Osaka attributes her enhanced grass-court play to her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, whom she joined in mid-2025. "We all understood that I have potential to play really good on grass. I just need to figure out the movement part," Osaka stated. She detailed extensive drills with Wiktorowski, focusing on pattern recognition and building comfort with her own game, which has helped her movement throughout the year.
"When I was younger, I used to be extremely low, to the point where I'd bang my knees on the ground and think maybe I need knee guards while I'm playing," Osaka recalled, highlighting her past struggles with movement on the surface.
Beyond her coaching, Osaka emphasized the role of her family's presence in London. The family has been staying together, and recently celebrated her daughter Shai's third birthday. Osaka even mentioned playfully putting her daughter in time-out for being "kind of bad."
Commentators noted Osaka's transformation, with one remarking that "this time last year she wasn't even ranked in the top 50." Her opponent in the quarterfinals, Karolina Muchova, is expected to present a challenge with her spin and guile, but Osaka anticipates facing her as "looser, calmer, and more ready."
Analysts observed that Osaka has "done a great job of getting more consistent, she is fitter than I've ever seen her and she is so committed to being controlled out there."