Aryna Sabalenka exits Wimbledon in fourth round defeat to Naomi Osaka
Aryna Sabalenka has drawn attention with remarks about her plans to “get completely drunk” following her unexpected fourth-round exit at Wimbledon, where she was defeated 6-2, 7-6(2) by Naomi Osaka, reports BritPanorama.
This loss marked Sabalenka’s first straight-sets defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2020 US Open and ended her impressive streak of 21 consecutive Grand Slam tie-break victories.
Immediately after the match, Sabalenka misheard a reporter’s condolences, initially responding, “Did you say congratulations?” before correcting herself with an apologetic “Oh my God, sorry.”
Despite her disappointment, the Belarusian maintained composure, stating, “(I feel) no emotions,” while noting her improved emotional handling compared to previous exits.
She candidly assessed her performance, saying, “I f***ed it up this year. Next year I’ll try to do better,” and humorously suggested she would “get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape.”
Osaka delivered one of her career’s standout performances, overpowering Sabalenka with an aggressive style on grass. She had previously lost all three of her Centre Court matches but adapted her mindset by treating the match as a practice session. “There’s a really big crowd for this practice match, but we’re going to get through it,” Osaka recalled.
She dominated the first set in just 32 minutes and held her nerve during the second-set tie-break to secure a significant victory. This match’s importance is amplified by previous encounters, with Osaka having defeated Sabalenka in the 2018 US Open final, a match that fundamentally shaped Sabalenka’s career perspective.
With this win, Osaka progresses to face Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals, marking a critical point in her comeback after struggles in recent years. Sabalenka, reflecting on her lost streak, noted, “It’s okay. I’ll get back stronger. We’ll start to build everything from scratch for the next one.” The outcome underscores the unpredictable nature of tennis, where momentum can shift swiftly, leaving even the strongest competitors to regroup.
