Osaka on Major Miss: This One More Upsetting

Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Photo credits: Shaun Brooks/Getty

One round after Naomi Osaka overpowered world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with pyrotechnic blasts, Karolina Muchova played subtle throw-back tennis to shatter Osaka’s Wimbledon title dream.

Reflecting on a bittersweet 7-6(4), 6-4 quarterfinal loss to Karolina Muchova today, Osaka said this defeat wounds her more deeply than her 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 3-6 loss to Amanda Anisimova in a pulsating 2025 US Open semifinal.

That’s because the 28-year-old Japanese knew stepping on Centre Court this may well have been her best shot to win Wimbledon and because Osaka expected more from her explosive game today.

“I know my results don’t show it, but whenever I play a slam, my intention is to win,” Osaka said. “And obviously last year I got to the [US Open] semis. I wanted so desperately to be in the final to have that opportunity, but Amanda played insane.

“I honestly wasn’t even mad that she won. This one is a little more upsetting to me because I feel like there was so much more I could have done.”

Indeed, Osaka lacked the energy and urgency she showed stomped Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2) soaring into the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time.

Former No. 1 Osaka not only scored her first career Centre Court win, she shattered Sabalenka’s Open Era record winning streak of 21 consecutive Grand Slam tiebreakers.

Today, Osaka could not match Muchova’s fluid movement.

“It kind of just felt like my legs were completely gone,” Osaka said. “Then I felt like I couldn’t really push off anymore. It was a really weird feeling, like my legs were disconnected from the upper half of my body.”

Make no mistake: This is a major miss for Osaka given seventh-seeded Coco Gauff is now the highest-seeded woman still standing. Osaka swept Gauff, 6-3, 6-2, at the 2025 US Open last September.

It’s been five-and-a-half years since Osaka last raised a Grand Slam title trophy at the 2021 Australian Open. Prior to her upset of Sabalenka, Osaka was 0-13 against Top 10 opponents on surfaces other than hard court.

So can the working mom break through and win another Grand Slam?

Remember Osaka says yes.

“I think maybe I should find the positive in that because I’ve gotten to the quarters and I feel like I can still improve so much as a player,” Osaka said. “Yeah, I feel like in my head I think there’s still an opportunity to win a slam.”