Naomi Osaka beats Aryna Sabalenka to reach Wimbledon quarters
ESPN • • general
Key Points:
- Naomi Osaka defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (2) to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time, marking her first win over a No. 1 player since 2019.
- Osaka's powerful pace and flat groundstrokes, amplified by warm weather conditions, overwhelmed Sabalenka, who had previously beaten Osaka in all their 2024 matches.
- Sabalenka's loss ended her streak of 14 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances and snapped her record 21-match winning streak in major tiebreaks.
- Osaka will face Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals, following her recent recovery from a foot injury that caused her to retire in a grass-court final last weekend.
- Both players have won four Grand Slam titles, all on hard courts, and this match highlighted Osaka's resurgence after breaks for mental health and maternity leave.
