"She grunts the same way for every ball. I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, she tricked me'" - Naomi Osaka caught off guard by Sabalenka's loud grunts

Naomi Osaka held her own against a rampant Aryna Sabalenka but ultimately was on the end of a 6-2, 6-4 defeat at the hands of the world number one in the last-16 of Indian Wells, whose loud grunting was taking Osaka off guard in periods.

After a horrific defeat in the opening round last year, the Japanese number one seems to be getting back to her best. The signs looked good last year when a run to the Canadian Open final before a US Open semi-final appearance proved to the world that, after some time away from the top, she is back competing at a very high level. Grand Slams are still the aim for the 28-year-old who is looking to climb the ladder back into the top 10 and beyond.

Ranked the 16th seed in this tournament, she was on a collision course with four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka, whose consistency in these tournaments is a sight to behold. She took the lead with a crucial break before managing to take another of her opportunities later on. Osaka was not able to make any inroads on the Belarusian's serve and ultimately paid the price. She was creating more opportunities in the second set, but those were limited and not taken. Sabalneka continued to stay on top as she got a huge break of serve, which indicated the start of the end for Osaka. Sabalenka's first match point was clinically taken and she sets up a quarterfinal showdown against Victoria Mboko, who defeated Osaka in the final of the Canadian Open last year.

In her press conference after proceedings, Osaka reacted to playing Sabalenka for just the second time outside of exhibitions. The pair met in the 2018 US Open with Osaka winning out enroute to one of her four major title triumphs. That was a long time ago, as Osaka admitted that it was a whole new feeling compared to then.

“No, it definitely felt like playing her for the first time. I think, like, obviously I could watch her on TV or whatever, but in reality, it’s very different,” she said.

Overall, maybe she was not totally prepared for the challenge, tricked to an extent by the grunts of Sabalenka. “I also feel like I was a little, like, 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. I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, she tricked me,'" she smiled.

Despite the defeat, the progression is clear for Osaka. "It was a cool learning experience," she commented. "I know we haven’t played for a long time, so I hope that we can play again sometime soon. I mean, it was definitely really tough, but honestly, my biggest takeaway is that I had a lot of fun."

It was a first venture onto Stadium 1, the second biggest tennis stadium in the world, behind Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows. “I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to play on Stadium 1, and to play against the No 1 player, it was really cool.”

Osaka is looking to build up some positive momentum. Injuries have haunted her in recent years, with her Australian Open campaign being cut short by more trouble. This is her first competition back, with the hope that it is the first of many on the bounce. "I think I’m at an age now where I just have to, I’m at the ripe age of 28, that, I don’t know, I just have to take every day, like today obviously I didn’t win, but I learned a lot. I had a lot of fun, and I didn’t hurt myself. So that’s a W for me."

There are many huge tennis tournaments on the horizon, with her making a return to the Miami Open. She made the final in 2022 but was unable to topple Iga Swiatek, who dished out a bagel in the final set in a convincing win for the Pole. "I’m lucky that I’m able to play in Miami," Osaka stated. "I’m going to be seeded there. It’s quite different from last year, and yeah, I just want to continue doing well. I look forward to all the Grand Slams… So, it will be a cool year.”