Osaka topples world No. 1 Sabalenka as Wimbledon's top seeds fall
The 14th seed reaches her first Wimbledon quarter-final, and with the top three women's seeds all out SW19 is guaranteed a ninth straight first-time champion.
Naomi Osaka produced the upset of the Championships so far on Sunday, overpowering world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2) on Centre Court to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time. The 14th seed, a four-time Grand Slam champion on hard courts, had never before gone beyond the fourth round at the All England Club.
The result reversed a lopsided recent rivalry. Sabalenka had beaten Osaka in all three of their meetings this year, including at the same stage of the French Open last month. On the warmest day of the tournament, Osaka's flat, heavy groundstrokes flew through the court and Sabalenka had no answer. The match lasted barely 90 minutes.
For Sabalenka it was a startling collapse of several long streaks. It was her first straight-sets defeat at a major since the 2020 US Open, her earliest Grand Slam exit since the 2022 French Open, and it ended a record run of 21 consecutive major tie-breaks won. "She overpowered me," Sabalenka said. "Level-wise, today, I wasn't world No. 1."
Osaka, who returned from maternity leave in 2024, savoured a rare feel-good moment on grass. "It's been a long time since I've had so much fun on the court," she said.
Her win completes a remarkable clear-out at the top of the women's draw. With Sabalenka following second seed Elena Rybakina and third seed Iga Swiatek out of the tournament, all three top seeds are gone, guaranteeing a ninth consecutive first-time Wimbledon women's champion. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the highest seeds left, also reached the last eight. Osaka next faces Karolina Muchova, who knocked out 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova.
