Wimbledon 2026 Women’s Day 7

Naomi Osaka credited Japanese food prepared by her mother with helping her to her first career victory on the Centre Court of Wimbledon, a 6-2, 7-6 (2) upset of top seed Aryna Sabaenka on Sunday.

“Home cooking is powering me here,” the four-time Grand Slam winner on hardcourt said after reaching the London quarter-finals for the first time

“My mom is here and cooking Japanese food: Could I please have some more tonight?,” she queried to her parent in the player box.

“It’s been a long time since I had so much fun on a tennis court. To do it here really means a lot.”

Sabalenka took a rare defeat to the Japanese player, a former world No. 1, after defeating her  three times already this season. 

The tiebreak loss for the top seed was her first here since her 2017 debut. 

“I didn’t play my best, and she played probably her best, sometimes that happens,” Sabalenka said.

“You can do everything you can and still lose the match. Obviously I’m not really happy

“Well done for Naomi. Wishing her the best. With every game  I would feel worse, she would feel better. She would just go for her shots freely. I wouldn’t.”

The tournament is now without the top three women’s seeds, with exits already from No. 2 Elena Rybakina and defending champion Iga Swiatek, seeded third.

The showing is the best for Osaka in six Wimbledon appearances.

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula showed she’s the picture of consistency – and now a contender – as the American earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback win over Iva Jovic.

The 32-year-old has reached the quarter-finals 10 times at the Grand Slams dating to 2021 and is now being tipped as a title contender after the exit of holder Iga Swiatek on Saturday.

Pegula was helped by a serving collapse from Jovic, who from 1-1 in the second set was broken five times on the way to the loss .

The winner improved to 7-1 on grass this season as she prepares for her second Wimbledon quarter-final appearance..

“You are always are trying to learn and push yourself,” she said in victory.

“I think I do a good job of keeping my emotions in check, and trying to not waste too much energy on being overly negative or even overly positive.”

Pegula revealed that in seven Wimbledon appearances, she has never played a match on Centre Court.

“It would be really cool, an honour, obviously. If I get there, it will be even better. If I’ve earned my spot: making a semi, knowing I can get there, that would
be awesome. 

“(Playing on Centre) you really get the true Wimbledon experience. You really get the feeling that you’re playing Wimbledon.”

Karolina Muchova outlasted 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova7-5, 5-7, 6-3, in an all-Czech fourth-round showdown.

Krejcikova won the last five games of the second set to square the match and broke her compatriot as Muchova served for victory the first time after gaining a 4-1 lead.

The winner – who eliminated the last Wimbledon winner remainingin the women’s draw – duplicated her quarter-finals here from 2019 and 2021.

“It was a very tough battle out there today,” the winner said. “Happy I managed to still produce a quality game in the third set after the second (where I had a big
lead.)”

Muchova said that even with a swoon in the second set  “I still felt good. I knew that.

“She started to hit really freely when I was 5-2 up. She played some good points. She just really went for it; she deserved the second set.”