World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beat 16th seed Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open, advancing to the quarterfinals in their second career meeting. The straight-sets win featured dominant play by Sabalenka and post-match discussions on grunting and recent agency switches.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka dominated 16th seed Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, on March 10. The 80-minute match improved Sabalenka's season record to 14-1, propelled by 31 winners and eight aces. She broke Osaka's serve three times, including twice in the first set to lead 4-1, and saved both break points in the second before converting a key break at 3-3.
The victory avenged Sabalenka's three-set loss to Osaka in the 2018 US Open round of 16, which launched Osaka's first Grand Slam title. Osaka, the 2018 Indian Wells champion returning after an abdominal injury withdrawal from the Australian Open and maternity leave in 2023, had advanced past Camila Osorio and Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.
Post-match buzz included Sabalenka's comments on Osaka's agency switch back to IMG from Evolve, which Osaka co-founded in 2022. "I just feel sorry for her that she moved from Evolve back to IMG. I don’t think that’s a smart decision," Sabalenka said, laughing, "I’m happy... now I got most of the time." Sabalenka had joined Evolve in January 2025 after leaving IMG. Osaka responded coolly: "We’re two different people... I have always loved IMG," praising her treatment there despite co-founder Stuart Duguid being in Sabalenka's box.
In her press conference, Osaka described the match as feeling like their first encounter. "It definitely felt like playing her for the first time," she said, noting Sabalenka's consistent grunting tricked her expectations. "I was a little flat-footed sometimes, because I expected the ball to be coming harder but then it didn’t... She grunts the same way for every ball." Despite the loss, she viewed it positively: "It was a cool learning experience... I had a lot of fun, and I didn’t hurt myself. So that’s a W for me." Osaka, now ranked 16th after giving birth to daughter Shai, hopes for more matchups and is seeded at the upcoming Miami Open.
Sabalenka next faces Victoria Mboko in the quarterfinals after Mboko's 6-4, 6-1 win over Amanda Anisimova.
