Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will face Naomi Osaka in the Wimbledon fourth round on Sunday, marking their fourth meeting of the year.
The match pits two four-time Grand Slam champions against each other on Centre Court.
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Sabalenka advanced by defeating Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets, while Osaka secured her spot by beating Daria Kasatkina, reaching the fourth round at SW19 for the first time in her career.
Their rivalry dates back to the 2018 US Open, where they first met.
After that, they did not play again until 2026, when Sabalenka won all three encounters in Indian Wells, Madrid, and the French Open.
Reflecting on their 2018 match, Sabalenka recalled predicting Osaka's future success.
“When she won that match, I had a feeling she is going to win a Slam,” she said, referring to Osaka's victory over Serena Williams five days later.
Osaka went on to win three more Grand Slam titles before taking a hiatus for mental health and maternity leave.
During that period, Sabalenka broke through to win the 2023 Australian Open.
“Obviously [we have a] different story,” Sabalenka said. “She went through different things.
I went through different things. I feel like we both were completely different players and people.”
Sabalenka described their rivalry as “great” and said she enjoys every match. “It's a battle, it's high-level matches.
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