In total control: Sabalenka dismisses Osaka to reach fourth consecutive Roland-Garros quarterfinal
The Belarusian dispatched the Japanese star in straight sets (7-5, 6-3) and will now face Diana Shnaider for a spot in the final four.
Aryna Sabalenka – Roland-Garros 2026 © Laptiste / Psnewz
She is getting stronger and stronger. In the first women’s night session since 2023, Aryna Sabalenka easily beat Naomi Osaka (7-5, 6-3) to move into the quarterfinals in Paris—her fourth in a row at Roland-Garros. Sabalenka still hasn’t lost a single set since the start of the tournament. Her next opponent, Diana Shnaider, will try to change that to win a place in the semifinals.
With Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina out of the tournament, Sabalenka is now the big favorite to win the title. Her consistency in Grand Slams is amazing: she has reached the quarterfinals for the 14th time in a row, becoming the first player to do this since Serena Williams (who did it 16 times in a row between Wimbledon 2000 and the 2005 Australian Open).
Just a few weeks ago in Madrid, Osaka gave Sabalenka a tough time by taking the first set before losing in three. The Japanese player couldn’t do it again this Monday at Roland-Garros. Yet, the former Australian Open and US Open champion broke the world number one right at the start of the match. However, Osaka lost her advantage immediately after.
A First Match Against Shnaider
Sabalenka made a few unusual mistakes before finding her rhythm on her return games. Trailing 5-4, she suddenly raised her level to win the last three games and take the first set. The same thing happened in the second set: she won three games in a row from 3-3 to 6-3, including two breaks.
Osaka was overwhelmed by Sabalenka’s power and her new skills with drop shots. This is her third loss against the Belarusian in 2026, after Indian Wells and Miami. Speaking to Fabrice Santoro after the match, the world number one said she was delighted to play in the night session, before doing a little moonwalk for the crowd on court Philippe-Chatrier.
Next up for Aryna Sabalenka: Diana Shnaider, who beat Madison Keys earlier in the day to reach her very first Grand Slam quarterfinal. It will be the first time these two players face each other on the tour.
