Naomi Osaka went out of the Madrid Open on Monday, falling to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets.
Sabalenka dropped the first set 7-6 but responded well, taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals.
She’ll now take on 30th seed Hailey Baptiste in the next round.
The Japanese star played some great tennis throughout and finished with nine aces, winning an impressive 67 per cent of her first serve points.
Speaking to the WTA after the match, Sabalenka praised Osaka’s performance, saying: “That was an incredible level, she played really incredible tennis.”
She also credited a bit of good fortune in the third set for helping her pull away. “I feel like I had some luck with a couple of shots in the third set, that’s why it went that fast. But overall it was a really incredible fight.”
“I’m happy she brought the fight and I had to fight through and level up my game,” Sabalenka added.
Sabalenka didn’t stop there. She called Osaka an inspiration and even predicted where she might end up on the rankings again soon.
Osaka is one of only a few mothers competing for the biggest titles on the WTA Tour, and this was acknowledged by the world number one.
“She is such an inspiration and coming back after pregnancy in a sport like tennis is not easy at all,” Sabalenka continued.
The Belarusian continued: “To see her top 20 and for sure she is going top 10, it’s incredible. It’s inspiring. “She gave all of us hope that we can go for a baby and come back and play this level of tennis. It’s incredible, it’s inspiring.”
Sabalenka has faced Hailey Baptiste just once before, with that meeting taking place at the 2026 Miami Open.
The Belarusian got the better of that contest, beating the American 6-4, 6-4 in Florida.
She then went on to lift the trophy that year, completing the rare ‘Sunshine Double’ – a feat not many have managed to achieve.
Speaking after her victory over Coco Gauff in Miami, Sabalenka reflected on what it meant to her.
“Yeah, it means a lot,” she said. “My goal always been to put my name in the history, and I just did it. It just sounds so unreal.
“I don’t know how I was able to achieve that, but I’m super proud right now. Of course, of course, super happy with this beautiful trophy.”
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