By Prosper Mene
LONDON — Naomi Osaka is back on the big stage, and she picked the perfect moment to announce it.
The 4-time Grand Slam champion stunned World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets on Monday to reach her first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal, 6-4, 7-6(3).
For Osaka, it’s a career milestone 9 years in the making. She had never gone past the third round at the All England Club before this year. Now, she’s taken out the top seed to get there.
From the first ball, Osaka played like a woman with nothing to lose and everything to prove. She was aggressive off both wings, dictated with her forehand, and absorbed Sabalenka’s power with calm composure.
She broke Sabalenka early in the first set and never let go, closing it out 6-4 with an ace out wide.
The second set was pure drama. Sabalenka cranked up the intensity and forced a tiebreak. But Osaka stayed ice cold. She raced to a 5-0 lead in the breaker and finished it with a forehand winner that had Centre Court on its feet.
After match point, Osaka put both hands to her face in disbelief before waving to the crowd.
“I’ve always struggled here, so to finally get to the second week and beat the No.1… it means a lot,” Osaka said on court. “I just tried to enjoy every point and play free tennis.”
The win snaps Sabalenka’s 12-match winning streak at Slams and hands the Belarusian her earliest exit from a major this year.
