Naomi Osaka delivered a dominant performance to defeat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of Wimbledon, advancing to face No. 10 seed Karolina Muchova. The Japanese star secured a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory, handing Sabalenka her first straight-sets defeat at a Grand Slam since 2020.
Following the match, Sabalenka expressed her disappointment, stating her plan was to "get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape." She acknowledged her struggles, saying, "I f***ed it up this year. Next year I'll try to do better."
Osaka's win marked a significant moment in her grass-court career. Despite previous struggles on Centre Court, she approached the match with a calm demeanor, viewing it as a "practice match." Her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, has been credited with helping her improve her grass-court game.
Osaka demonstrated strong form from the outset, breaking Sabalenka's serve early in the first set. She matched Sabalenka's power with precise returns and aggressive play, ultimately clinching the set in 32 minutes.
In the second set, Sabalenka showed more fight, but Osaka maintained her composure and consistency. The match culminated in a tiebreak, where Osaka's superior play secured her the victory. Sabalenka's loss also ended her streak of 21 consecutive Grand Slam tiebreak wins and her run of not being defeated in straight sets at a major in nearly six years.
After the match, Osaka commented on her approach, noting a desire to focus more on her tennis than on her distinctive walk-on outfits. "I actually really wanted to focus on the match," she said. "So that was me being very tame. But definitely there's a couple things I can add. Well, ironically I kind of want to focus on my tennis now, so I might dial back a little bit."