Osaka seeks revenge against Sabalenka in Wimbledon last-16 showdown
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has declared that she is seeking revenge over world number one player Aryna Sabalenka in the last-16 of the ongoing Wimbledon tournament.
Osaka who was speaking ahead of the showdown today (Sunday) says she relishes the rivalry with Sabalenka who holds a 4–1 career head-to-head advantage over her.
This will be their fourth high-stakes meeting of the 2026 season alone and Osaka disclosed that she has really learnt a lot in the game by playing against Sabalenka in past.
“In some ways I feel like I’m a lot more equipped to talk about my clothes than about my tennis,” Osaka said.
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“She’s the number one player in the world. If there is someone I had to lose to or win against, I would pick that ranking position. If anything, I would say I learnt from all of those matches.”
While reacting to the comments made by Osaka before the game, Sabalenka says she is relishing the opportunity of playing the Japanese again.
“Yeah, it’s been a great rivalry. Every time it’s a battle. Every time it’s high-level matches. Super excited to play her,” she said.
Both Osaka and Sabalenka enter the Wimbledon fourth round in excellent form, having both won their respective third-round matches in straight sets against their opponents.
While Sabalenka boasts a heavy-hitting game that has been tough for opponents, Osaka has played some of her best grass-court tennis to reach the round of 16 at the All England Club for the first time in her career.
