Wimbledon 2026: Naomi Osaka stuns world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach maiden quarter-final
Naomi Osaka stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2) to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final and end the Belarusian's Grand Slam streak.
Naomi Osaka stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2) to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final and end the Belarusian's Grand Slam streak.
Naomi Osaka combined fashion and performance at the 2026 French Open with a striking couture-inspired entrance outfit before advancing to the second round, where she will face Donna Vekić on May 27 in Paris.
Osaka announced the decision via an Instagram story, explaining that she could not risk further damage after feeling discomfort following her previous match.
In front of a packed and partisan Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, Gauff suffered a straight-set loss, 6-3, 6-2, to four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka.
Motherhood, it seems, has shifted something deeply within Osaka. She described the experience as “so fulfilling” and credited little Shai for teaching her patience.
This was the first Slam tournament for the 23-year-old Osaka since she pulled out of the French Open before the second round to take a mental health break after having announced she would not participate in news conferences in Paris.
The No.3 seed will face Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic in the second round on Wednesday
Osaka was quick to take a 3-0 lead in the opener, but the Swiss used her natural athleticism and defensive skills to lure Osaka into long rallies, frustrating the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Naomi was competing in her first event since pulling out of the French Open in May
“This feeling of togetherness — this is the light at the end of the dark tunnel of the pandemic,” Bach declared. Later, Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka received the Olympic flame from a torch relay through the stadium and lit the Olympic cauldron.
