When Sabalenka and Osaka faced each other for the first time almost eight years ago in New York, they were both 20 years old and rapidly rising up the rankings.
Both players have said the fourth-round match, which Japan’s Osaka won 6-3 2-6 6-4, was a turning point in their careers.
“I felt like we both were kind of upcoming, [the] next generation,” said top seed Sabalenka.
“When she won that match, I had a feeling she is going to win a Slam.”
The Belarusian – who had been a break up in the deciding set – was right. Five days later, Osaka beat Serena Williams to become the first player from Japan to win a major title.
In the 28 months that followed, Osaka won three more Grand Slam titles. Sabalenka claimed none.
But their careers soon took different paths.
Osaka briefly stepped away from tennis in 2021 to prioritise her mental health before taking 15 months of maternity leave with daughter Shai, who was born in July 2023.
While Osaka was away, Sabalenka finally had her breakthrough moment, triumphing at the 2023 Australian Open for her first Grand Slam title.
“Obviously [we have a] different story,” Sabalenka said after her third-round win over Jelena Ostapenko.
“She went through different things. I went through different things. I feel like we both were completely different players and people.”
