Naomi Osaka Makes Wimbledon History
Naomi Osaka achieved a remarkable victory at Wimbledon on Saturday, knocking out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (2) in the fourth round. Osaka suggested that her success was about more than just tennis skills.
With this win, Osaka moves into the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the very first time in her career.
Interestingly, Osaka attributed part of her success to something unexpected: her mother’s cooking. “My mother is over there,” she expressed during her on-court interview. “She cooks a lot, so I feel like her cooking gives me strength. Mom, please make sure to eat tonight too. Thank you so much.”
She further expressed her appreciation for her cultural background when discussing her meals. Osaka mentioned, “There’s a lot of Japanese food, so please shout Japanese food.”
Embracing the power of food, Osaka entered the challenging environment of the grass courts.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also highlighted the role of her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorovski, in her improved performance on grass. She recorded eight aces against Sabalenka, finishing the match in under 90 minutes.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun on the court. It really means a lot to be able to do it here,” Osaka noted. She reflected on the previous three consecutive losses to Sabalenka, including one at Roland Garros, which made this victory particularly significant.
This win not only marked a personal comeback for Osaka but also ended Sabalenka’s impressive streak of 14 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances. It was also Sabalenka’s first straight-set defeat in a Grand Slam since the 2020 US Open.
Earlier in the season, Osaka had reached the fourth round at Roland Garros but faced Sabalenka there as well. She had some ups and downs, reaching the final in Bad Homburg only to retire due to leg issues against Karolina Muchova. At Wimbledon, however, she has been dominant, winning all four matches without losing a set.
Osaka’s next challenge will be against Muchova again in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, which is an opportunity for her to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since her win at the 2021 Australian Open.
