Aryna Sabalenka says she is ready to fight for victory at Wimbledon ahead of her showdown with Naomi Osaka on Sunday.
The world No.1 set up the clash after beating former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4. Earlier in the day, Osaka defeated Daria Kasatkina to continue her best-ever run at the tournament.
Sabalenka has already beaten Osaka three times this season, with two of those victories being in straight sets in Indian Wells and at the French Open. However, they have never locked horns on grass so far in their careers.
“It’s always been a battle, always been a tricky match,” Sabalenka said of the match-up.
“She’s a very aggressive player, serving well.
“I watched a couple of her matches. She’s in good shape. But I’m ready to go out there, bring the fight and do anything it takes to get through this difficult match.”
Osaka enters the showdown with a confidence boost following her recent success on the grass. Last month, she made it through to her first Tour-level final on the surface in Bad Homburg but ended up retiring due to injury. At Wimbledon, she has gone through her first three matches, dropping only 15 games. In comparison, Sabalenka has dropped 19 games.
“In every match (against Osaka) there were key moments of each set where I think I was able to trust my game and to step in and put pressure on her,” Sabalenka explains.
“Every time she plays me, she’s more focused. She’s aware of my power and aggression. I feel like every time she’s handling herself really well and handling the pressure well.”
Until 2026, it had been more than seven years since they last played against each other. Their first meeting was at the 2018 US Open, where Osaka won her first major title by defeating Serena Williams in a dramatic final. Sabalenka lost to the Japanese player in the last 16.
“I had a feeling that whoever won that match had a really big opportunity to maybe not win a slam but be in the final,” she recounted.
“The moment when she won that match, I had the feeling she was going to win a slam.”
Sabalenka is chasing after her first Wimbledon title at the age of 28. It is the only Grand Slam that she has yet to play a final at. Although she had reached the semi-final three times before.
“Every tournament, I have to play someone; for me, it’s a new match. I don’t really care about what happened in the past. I think that’s really been working well for me in terms of bringing the best tennis, being focused and being really motivated.” She concluded.
