Aryna Sabalenka gives emotional shoutout to 'mother' Naomi Osaka after crushing her Madrid Open hopes

Aryna Sabalenka gives emotional shoutout to 'mother' Naomi Osaka after crushing her Madrid Open hopes

Aryna Sabalenka had some heartfelt and emotional words for Naomi Osaka after ending the Japanese star’s run at the Madrid Open. The two faced off in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event.

Tennis: Sabalenka survived Osaka—but this was not dominance

When Aryna Sabalenka erases Naomi Osaka’s lead and reaches the Madrid quarterfinals, the easy headline is about power, comeback, and champion mentality. That is the clean version. It is also the incomplete one. Because this was not a match that simply confirmed Sabalenka’s dominance. It exposed something more interesting and more uncomfortable: Sabalenka remains the most dangerous player in the draw, but she is not always in full control of the …