Naomi Osaka pulled off one of the biggest upsets of this year’s Wimbledon, beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
The 14th seed produced a superb display on Centre Court, using her powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes to beat Sabalenka in straight sets on the warmest day of the tournament.
The win was a breakthrough for Osaka, who had lost all three of her previous meetings with Sabalenka this season, including a fourth-round defeat at the French Open. It was also her first victory over a world number one since beating Ashleigh Barty in Beijing in 2019.
Osaka dominated the opening set and stayed composed in the second-set tiebreak to seal her biggest win since returning from maternity leave.
The defeat ended Sabalenka’s bid for a first Wimbledon title and was her first straight-sets loss at a Grand Slam since the 2020 US Open.
Osaka will face 10th seed Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals as she continues her pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon title.
