Naomi Osaka produced a stunning upset in front of a packed Center Court crowd at Wimbledon, defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets on Sunday. The 14th seed was elated with the result and made a light-hearted demand to her mother during her on-court interview.
Naomi Osaka’s Mother Cheers Her On As She Powers Past Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon
Osaka has been in sublime form at the SW19 so far. The four-time Grand Slam champion, who is on the hunt for her first Wimbledon title, hasn’t dropped a single set en route to her first quarterfinal at the tournament. Before defeating Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2), she had recorded wins over Daria Kasatkina (6-1, 6-3), Anastasia Gasanova (6-3, 6-2), and Elsa Jacquemot (6-1, 7-5).
Throughout the week, the former World No. 1 enjoyed special meals prepared by her mother, Tamaki, which she credited for bringing her good fortune. She then affectionately asked her mother, who was in her player’s box, to keep the tradition going.
“My mom’s over there. I was saying she cooks a lot, and I feel like her cooking is powering me, so Mom, I would really appreciate another meal tonight. Thank you so much,” she said during her on-court interview after beating Sabalenka.
When asked about the cuisine, Osaka responded, “A bunch of Japanese food, so shout out Japanese food.”
Naomi Osaka’s mother was at her animated best during the tense fourth-round match, loudly cheering her daughter on. When Osaka was made aware of the lively atmosphere in her box, she appeared amused.
“Well, I mean, that’s the job of everyone in the box,” she said, adding, “I’m kind of just focused on what’s happening here, but yeah, it’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court, and to do it here, it really means (a lot).”
“Going into this match, I lost to her three times in a row, so that really sucked. So I wanted to turn it over, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do that.”
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The Wimbledon clash marked Osaka and Sabalenka’s fourth meeting of the year in their five-match rivalry. While the Japanese star had won their first encounter at the 2018 US Open, she had lost all three meetings this season at Indian Wells, Madrid, and the French Open.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, however, she expressed confidence in her grass-court form, noting that the pair had never previously met on the surface.
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The 28-year-old would now hope to carry her momentum into the quarterfinal, where she faces a familiar opponent in Karolína Muchová. The pair clashed just last week in the final of the Bad Homburg Open, where Osaka was forced to retire after losing the opening set.
