Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka haven’t faced each other on the tennis court much, despite their impressive track record in the women’s rankings over the years. Both players have only faced off twice during their active careers, with one win each time.
However, Monday gave either Sabalenka and Osaka a chance to take the lead when they met at the Mutua Madrid Open.
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The match was close at the beginning, but Sabalenka improved in the final stages and won in three sets. This victory gave Sabalenka a narrow 2-1 lead in the head-to-head match against Osaka.
With this victory, Sabalenka has won 15 consecutive fights.
Sabalenka entered the race in first place overall, but it was Osaka who got off to a better start. Both players kept the match close in the first set, leading to a tie-break. However, when the dust settled, Osaka won 7-6 and took a 1-0 lead in the match.
But Sabalenka wasn’t going down without a fight either. Undeterred by the early loss, she came back in the second set to defeat Osaka 6-3, setting up a winner-take-all third set.
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The final set was a back-and-forth affair from the start, with both players trading wins in the first four games. Sabalenka was able to stop the flow in the fifth game and led 3-2 in the final set.
Sabalenka took over from there and played the next three games smoothly to take the set 6-2 and take control of the match.
The win advances Sabalenka to the quarterfinals, where she will face Haley Baptiste on Tuesday.
Arina Sabalenka vs. Naomi Osaka fight
Before Monday’s matchup, Sabalenka and Osaka had only faced off on the court twice. Their first meeting was back in 2018, when Osaka defeated Sabalenka in three sets in the round of 16 at the US Open.
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The two met for the second time in Indian Wells in March. Sabalenka won in straight sets and came out on top. She went on to win that event.
Both players have had some very great moments in their sport, but due to off-court circumstances, they have rarely faced each other. Sabalenka told WTATennis.com that her rise to the top of the women’s rankings coincided with Osaka’s loss of opportunities due to the birth of her daughter.
With both players back and playing at a high level, Sabalenka and Osaka should have plenty of opportunities to build on their budding rivalry.
