Naomi Osaka tore up the grass‑court script at Wimbledon on Sunday, defeating world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2) on Centre Court to reach her first quarter-final at the Championships and show that her comeback is firmly on track.
Osaka arrived at this Wimbledon still regarded as a hard‑court specialist, a four‑time Grand Slam champion whose best memories were made in Melbourne and New York rather than on the lawns of SW19. She had also lost all three of her meetings with Sabalenka earlier this season and for years has spoken openly about feeling uncomfortable on grass. That narrative, at least for now, has been challenged.
