“It’s one of those matches where everything clicked at the right time”
Naomi Osaka pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships by defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in her career.
Osaka dominated the opening set with powerful serving and aggressive baseline play before holding her nerve in a closely contested second set. Sabalenka forced a tie-break, but Osaka stayed composed to win it 7-2 and complete the victory in straight sets.
The win was a major milestone for the Japanese star, who had never progressed beyond the third round at Wimbledon. It also ended her three-match losing streak against Sabalenka this season, with Osaka reaching the last eight without dropping a set.
The defeat ended Sabalenka’s streak of 21 consecutive Grand Slam tie-break wins and 14 straight Grand Slam quarter-final appearances. Osaka will next face 10th seed Karolína Muchová as she looks to extend her impressive Wimbledon campaign.