Japan’s Naomi Osaka celebrates beating Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka during their women’s singles round of 16 tennis match on the seventh day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2026. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
AFP via Getty Images
Naomi Osaka scored her biggest win since her return from maternity leave by knocking off world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Sunday.
No. 14 Osaka, the four-time major champion on hardcourts, overpowered fellow four-time major champion Sabalenka, 6-2, 7-6(2), winning the match with a huge forehand service return to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Sabalenka hadn’t lost in straight sets in a major since the 2020 U.S. Open. Sabalenka had beaten Osaka in their last three matches, including in straight sets in the fourth round at Roland Garros.
“Going into this match I lost to her like three times in a row, so that really sucked,” Osaka said.
Osaka took a 15-month maternity leave between September 2022 and January 2024.
The top three women’s seeds are now out of the draw and No. 4 Jessica Pegula, who prevailed in three sets over fellow American Iva Jovic, is the highest remaining seed on the women’s side.
Pegula improved to 57-16 against fellow Americans, 8-0 this year. She could face another American, No. 7 Coco Gauff, in the quarters. Gauff was due to face No. 11 Belinda Bencic later Sunday.
There will be a ninth straight first-time champion on the women’s side now that No. 2 Elena Rybakina, No. 3 and defending champion Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejickova are all out of the women’s draw.
The last woman to repeat was Serena Williams in 2015-16.
This is a developing story.