Naomi Osaka snapped a three-match losing streak against Aryna Sabalenka, defeating the World No. 1 in the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships on Sunday.
The win helped the Japanese tennis star continue her impressive streak, having reached a maiden grass-court final at the Bad Homburg Open prior to her run at Wimbledon.
Fans React as Naomi Osaka Stuns Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon
Osaka claimed a stunning 6-2, 7-6(2) win over Sabalenka to set up a Wimbledon quarterfinal clash against Karolína Muchová. The performance from the four-time Grand Slam champion drew plenty of acclaim as fans hailed her for ending her past struggles at the All England Club by making a first-ever quarterfinal at the Grand Slam.
“First win on Center Court, and it’s against the world number 1 to make it into your first Wimbledon quarterfinal. Yeah, Naomi is HER,” wrote one fan.
first win on centre court and it’s against the world number 1 to make it into your first wimbledon quarterfinal. yeah naomi is HER https://t.co/e9c95nrbhR
— 23 (@RENAWlLLlAMS) July 5, 2026
Another fan looked back on Sabalenka’s win over Osaka in the fourth round of the French Open while praising the latter for the turnaround.
“Wow! What a difference a month makes. And the surface changed, winner changed,” they wrote.
Wow! What difference a month makes. And the surface changed, winner changed.
— ʜᴀʀᴋɪʀᴀᴛ (@Harkirat155) July 5, 2026
“Omg, what an ‘A’ game, Naomi; absolutely fantastic,” they wrote.
Omg what an ‘A’ game naomi absolutely fantastic
— Renu (@renuavanigadda) July 5, 2026
Another hailed Osaka’s resilience and mentality to overcome obstacles as she continued her consistent run at Grand Slams in 2026.
“Osaka is a Huge Hitter! This Woman is very strong! If she can stay Consistent and Mentally Tough she will win this Grand Slam,” they wrote.
Osaka is a Huge Hitter ! This Woman is very strong ! If she can stay Consistent and Mentally Tough she will win this Grand Slam.
— Angel King (@4AngelKing) July 5, 2026
One fan noted just how well Osaka played to defeat the top-ranked player in women’s singles.
“A confident Naomi Osaka danced around Wimbledon Center Court like she owned the place,” they wrote.
A confident Naomi Osaka danced around Wimbledon Centre Court like she owned the place! #tennis
— Neil Drewitt (@neildrewitt) July 5, 2026
Osaka fired eight aces and won 87% of the points on her first serve and 64% of the points on her second serve and did not let Sabalenka convert any of her break-point opportunities. She also broke Sabalenka’s serve twice to claim her first win against a top-10 player at a non-hardcourt event.
Having made it to the quarterfinals of the Championships without dropping a set, Osaka will now have her sights set on ending her Grand Slam drought and winning her first Major title since the 2021 Australian Open.
With the top three seeds already eliminated, Osaka will undoubtedly fancy her chances of using her experience on the biggest stage to make a deep run at the Wimbledon Championships.
