Naomi Osaka advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon on Sunday after a decisive 6-1, 6-3 victory over Daria Kasatkina, marking her first time reaching the last 16 at the tournament. Osaka, 28, overpowered her opponent with 25 winners, controlling play from the back of the court. Kasatkina, 29, tried to mount a comeback in the second set, leveling the score at 3-3 after overcoming a break deficit, but Osaka quickly regained momentum to close out the match.

Following her win, Osaka spoke about her daughter Shai’s third birthday celebration the previous day. She revealed that the day included a challenging moment when her daughter was put in time out, saying, “We tried to take her to the park but then needed to go to time out. We’re going to try to take her again.” Osaka described the birthday as “awesome,” noting that Shai blew out her candles and made a wish, adding with a smile, “I hope her wish is to behave better. Today’s a new day for her.”

Osaka’s next opponent will be Aryna Sabalenka, the current world No. 1, who defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4 in a highly competitive match on Centre Court. Both players displayed aggressive shot-making, but Sabalenka maintained greater composure during critical points to secure the victory. This will be their fourth meeting of the year, with Sabalenka holding a 3-0 lead, including a win at this year’s French Open.

Sabalenka credited her mental resilience in part to inspiration from Rafael Nadal’s Netflix documentary. She highlighted a lesson she took from Nadal’s mantra: “The only thing you can control is your focus and motivation.” Sabalenka said this perspective has helped her remain focused and motivated, especially when facing adversity on court. The match between Osaka and Sabalenka is widely anticipated as a high-stakes contest in the tournament’s progression.