They are two of the biggest names in women’s tennis, and Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka will finally meet once again in Indian Wells this week.
It has been close to eight years since the current world No 1 Sabalenka and former world No 1 Osaka met for the first and only time at tour-level, and the two have now booked a fourth-round clash in Tennis Paradise.
After both initially received opening-round byes, Sabalenka has claimed comprehensive straight-set wins over Himeno Sakatsume and Jaqueline Cristian to reach the fourth round of the prestigious event, with Osaka seeing off Victoria Jiminez Kasintseva and Camila Osorio.
Ahead of this highly-anticipated showdown, we look back at their sole career meeting, and what both women have said ahead of their Indian Wells encounter.
What happened in their last meeting?
Sabalenka and Osaka are among the leading players of their era, and are both four-time Grand Slam singles champions — yet have only ever faced off once.
That meeting came at the US Open back in 2018, when 20th seed Osaka battled past 26th seed Sabalenka to seal a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory in the fourth round of the tournament.
It was one of the best matches of the whole women’s event, and proved a significant turning point for both women, particularly Osaka.
Victory for Osaka proved to be hugely significant, with the Japanese ultimately going on to win the first of her four Grand Slam titles that week.
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She would later add the 2019 Australian Open, 2020 US Open, and 2021 Australian Open titles to her collection, but has not won a WTA-level title since that second Melbourne victory.
Osaka spent lengthy periods away from the game in parts of 2021 and 2022 due to her mental health, and was then on maternity leave in 2023.
The Japanese returned to tour full-time in 2024 and produced the best tennis of her comeback last summer, with Osaka now back inside the top 20 of the WTA Rankings.
However, it is Sabalenka who has been one of the top dogs in the women’s game over the past few seasons.
The Belarusian’s 2018 US Open run and display in defeat to Osaka was a huge sign of her potential, though she suffered plenty of setbacks both on and off the court in the following years.
However, Sabalenka has now reached eight Grand Slam finals and has won four of them, lifting the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open titles, and the 2024 and 2025 US Open titles.
She has held the world No 1 ranking since October 2024 and has cemented her place as the leading hard-courter of her generation — arguably just ahead of Osaka.
Sabalenka is a two-time Indian Wells finalist, finishing as the runner-up in 2023 and 2025, while Osaka lifted her first-ever WTA title at this event back in 2018.
What Osaka said
By the time Osaka had picked up a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Osorio on Sunday, top seed Sabalenka was confirmed as her fourth-round opponent at the event.
And, the former world No 1 revealed her excitement at the chance to face the current world No 1.
She said: “I mean, for me, it’s really exciting. I have watched her, I don’t want to say ‘grow over the years,’ because I think she’s only a little bit younger than me and I feel like an old person, but yeah, I have watched her grow over the years.
“Obviously, she’s so consistent, she’s the No 1 player in the world and it’s, for me, very motivating. I’m excited to play her, and I’m looking forward to it a lot.”
The Japanese also revealed that she had strong memories of their thrilling clash at the US Open back in 2018, with Sabalenka the only woman to take a set off Osaka on the way to the title.
“No, I do remember it just because I felt like in that tournament, that was the hardest match for me, and I remember thinking, like, we’re both going to get very far.
“So, yeah, obviously I was right. But yeah, no, it was definitely a really difficult match. It’s really cool to see how far we both have come.”
What Sabalenka said
Sabalenka’s 6-4, 6-1 victory over Cristian was among the early round-three matches on Sunday, and Osaka was not yet confirmed as her opponent at the time.
However, the Belarusian revealed her excitement about the chance to face her fellow four-time Grand Slam champion — and made reference to Osaka’s eye-catching Indian Wells kit.
Sabalenka commented: “Well, it would be for sure a fashion show at the beginning. Then a crazy match. She’s a great player. Came back after pregnancy. Incredible shape. I have been watching her matches, really admire her.
“We played how many — I think we played only once, isn’t it?
“Probably I’ll have a chance to get revenge, hopefully. I would like to play her.”
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