Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 4, 2026
Photo credit: Shaun Brooks/CameraSport
Wimbledon—Beneath bright blue skies, Naomi Osaka has brought the thunder at Wimbledon.
Former world No. 1 Osaka has won 25 of 27 service games and banged 20 aces powering into a fourth-round blockbuster showdown vs. current No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
It is Osaka’s first round of 16 result in six career Wimbledon main-draw appearances.
While Osaka’s damaging serve has been a key stroke in her capturing four Grand Slam titles, it wasn’t always a dominant delivery.
In fact, as a young teenager Osaka didn’t feel her serve was a big weapon.
That all changed the day a 15-year-old Osaka went all in on a single serve in practice and changed her playing persona in the process from a grinder to a power player.
“Sometime when I was, like, 15. I don’t know why. Like, I tell people this, I played with my sister
a lot,” said Osaka, who rocketed a 123 mph ace, the third-fastest serve of the tournament. “I remember my knees always used to hurt because I kept growing.
“Then one day I decided to hit my serve as hard as I could. It went in. It was an ace.
“I thought in my brain if I can just keep doing to this, keep going for it, it would be a really solid addition to my game.”
While that may sound like a simplistic account of her serving growth, two other massive servers—Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras—have also recounted how unloading on serve in practice empowered both of them to develop damaging serves.
Though the serve and forehand are the foundations of Osaka’s game, she says she’s still refining it.
“Technically I’ve actually been trying to change it a little bit on and off,” Osaka said. “With [coach] Tomasz [Wiktorowski], we’re trying to make it a little bit more consistent with my toss because I feel like in the past I tossed it a little further back.
“Maybe that kind of contributed to, like, my ab strains. Yeah, we do try to tweak it. I don’t think any player’s content being where they are.”
The serve and first strike will be essential elements when Osaka faces Sabalenka for the fourth time this season and second straight Slam.
The top-seeded Sabalenka stopped Osaka 7-5, 6-3 in the Roland Garros round of 16 last month. Overall, Sabalenka has won six of seven sets vs. Osaka this season.
In their very first meeting, Osaka out-dueled Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the 2018 US Open fourth round and went on to claim her maiden major at Flushing Meadows.
Of course, Sabalenka owns a stinging serve herself.
The three-time Wimbledon semifinalist has smacked 21 aces in three tournament wins—second-most in the tournament to Amanda Anisimova, who has hit 24 aces.
Reigning US Open champion Sabalenka expects Osaka to bring the fireworks when the face off tomorrow.
“We played several times this year. Always been a battle, always been a tricky match,” Sabalenka said. “She’s very aggressive player, serving well.
“I watched couple of her matches. In a good shape. But I’m ready to go out there and to bring the fight and to do anything it takes to get through this difficult match.”
In the aftermath of her 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2 Mutua Madrid Open loss to Sabalenka on clay in April, Osaka said she drew positives from the defeat. Six weeks after Sabalenka shredded Osaka 6-2, 6-4 on Indian Wells’ hard court, the former No. 1 said the physical three-setter showed her she can potentially match the big-hitting Belarusian’s power.
“I think just knowing how close it was. I feel like every game was super close,” Osaka said. “I think I realize, like, I could potentially match her in power.
“I feel like in Indian Wells I was a little overwhelmed. Here I did a little bit better. Obviously she’s the No. 1 player in the world, so it was a really cool match for me to know that I’m like kind of there.”