Aryna Sabalenka, much like the rest of the tennis world, was left stunned to see Naomi Osaka power past her and into the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Admittedly, she did so with minimal fuss. It was an extraordinary performance, and one of her best ever.
Speaking afterwards, the top seed was frank in her assessment of the match.
When asked how it felt to actually be overpowered by another player, given she is usually the one delivering the all-power beatdowns, Aryna Sabalenka struggled to find the words to describe that sensation.
Aryna Sabalenka reacts after being overpowered by Naomi Osaka
She began by claiming: “Yeah, it’s actually strange.
“No, I just think, to be honest, if I would be able to play a little bit better, I feel like my level was really low today, plus she was feeling her best. With every game we would play, I would feel worse; she would feel better. She would just go for her shots freely. I wouldn’t.
Who can stop Naomi Osaka winning the Wimbledon title now?
“I feel like, yeah, maybe next time I should change something in the preparation, or my approach should be a little bit different to this match. I just feel like, honestly, I did everything I could with what I had today, and she got a win.
“Well done. Wish her, once again, the best of luck.”
Sabalenka was then asked to try and find a reason for her defeat, whether it be the surface or Naomi Osaka‘s level. She pondered, then replied: “I think a combination of both.
“I didn’t play my best, and she played probably her best. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes you can go out there and do everything you can and still lose the match. Obviously I’m not really happy.
“Well done for Naomi. Wishing her the best.”
Tracy Austin claimed she was amazed by what Osaka did to Sabalenka, similarly stunned by such overwhelming power.
Naomi Osaka’s new head-to-head record against Aryna Sabalenka
This was a crucial win for Osaka, not just for her chances of winning Wimbledon, but to stop the bleeding in her head-to-head record against Sabalenka.
After all, before today, she had lost her three straight matches against the world number one, all of which have come this year.
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First, the Belarusian swiftly knocked her out of Indian Wells, before overcoming a far tougher three-set affair in Madrid.
Sabalenka then dumped her out of Roland Garros, paving the way for Osaka to get revenge at the very next Grand Slam in the very same round.
Before these four 2026 meetings, Osaka had won their first-ever match, in the 2018 US Open that she would go on to win.
