Wimbledon 2026 results: Naomi Osaka powered by mother’s cooking to win over Arina Sabalenka

Osaka not only matched Sabalenka for pace but played with more control. Sabalenka’s frustration after missing a shot was met with a shout or a glance at her box, Osaka would return her with a fluffed shot, while heel kicking back to the baseline.

He played with freedom, hitting 21 winners and winning 87% of the points behind his first serve.

He credits coach Thomas Wiktorowski, whom he joined in mid-2025, with his transition to the grass-court game.

“When I was younger, I was extremely short, where I would put my knees on the ground and think I might need knee guards when I played,” Osaka said.

“We all realized that I have the potential to play really well on grass. I just have to figure out the movement part.

“I did a lot of drills with Tomasz. Most of them weren’t necessarily even on grass courts. It was about pattern recognition and getting comfortable with my own game.

“Throughout the year, he’s made me feel more comfortable with my movement.”

Osaka also credits her sobriety to being surrounded by her family in London.

The family live in a house together and celebrated Shai’s third birthday on Thursday – although Osaka told the Court One crowd on Friday that she had put her daughter on the deadline because “she was bad”.

Quarter-final opponent Karolina Muchova – a crafty player who will counter Osaka’s pace with spin and trickery – will be a tough test, but she will come against Osaka “confident, calmer and more prepared”.

“Osaka probably thought it (his comeback) was taking too long – he wasn’t even in the top 50 this time last year,” Austin told BBC TV.

“He’s done a great job of being more consistent, he’s fitter than I’ve seen him and he’s committed to taking control out there.”