“I F*** It Up This Year": Aryna Sabalenka Laments To Stunning Fourth Round Wimbledon Defeat to Naomi Osaka

New Delhi, July 6: Aryna Sabalenka admitted she wanted to "forget about tennis" after suffering a stunning fourth-round exit to Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon on Sunday. The world No. 1 was outplayed 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) on Centre Court as Osaka produced one of her finest grass-court performances to book a quarter-final clash with Karolina Muchova. The defeat ended Sabalenka's hopes of reaching her maiden Wimbledon final and marked her earliest exit at the All England Club since a first-round loss in 2019.

The Belarusian endured a frustrating afternoon, struggling to find her rhythm against an inspired Osaka. Her disappointment boiled over after match point when she smashed a ball out of the stadium, drawing boos from sections of the Centre Court crowd. Despite the emotional ending, Sabalenka said she was proud of keeping her composure during the contest.

"I f***** it up this year. Next year I'll try to do better," Sabalenka told reporters after the match.

"I cannot be satisfied with anything, but I have to say there were a couple of times when I could have just completely lost it. I was respectful to the grass and to the next players who were going to play there, so I held myself really well."

Sabalenka acknowledged that she was far below her best while crediting Osaka for a superb display.

"I feel like my level was really low today, plus she was feeling her best. With every game we would play, I would feel worse, she would feel better. She would just go for her shots freely, and I wouldn't," she said.

The defeat adds to a disappointing Grand Slam campaign for Sabalenka in 2026. She finished runner-up at the Australian Open before being knocked out in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros, and now exits Wimbledon before the last eight.

The loss also ended a remarkable personal milestone. Sabalenka's defeat in the second-set tie-break snapped her streak of **21 consecutive Grand Slam tie-break victories**, the longest such run by any player, male or female, in the Open Era.

When asked whether she still considered herself the best player in the world, Sabalenka pointed to the rankings but admitted her performance did not reflect her status.

"Let's just look at the rankings. Right now, I'm world number one. Level-wise, today I wasn't world number one. Yesterday, I was world number one," she said.

"I don't even want to think about rankings at this point. I just want to go, get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape."