Aryna Sabalenka Secures 14th Straight Victory at China Open; Naomi Osaka Set to Face Coco Gauff

The three-time Grand Slam winner stormed to the championship at the U.S. Open earlier this month, capping her run that began with a victory in Cincinnati in August. Earlier in the year, she also took home the Australian Open title.

In a lopsided game against Krueger, the second-ranked Sabalenka made five of her seven breakpoint possibilities. She will next take on Madison Keys in an attempt to tie her career-high 15 straight wins from 2020–21.

“Well, maybe I’m not playing my best tennis right now,” Sabalenka admitted. “However, I believe that my ability to manage my emotions and my self-control at times has been a major factor in my ability to stay in most matches and persevere through trying circumstances to play my best tennis.”

Keys defeated Brazilian Beatrice Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-3. Though Haddad Maia prevailed at the Korea Open last week, she found it difficult to match Keys’ baseline strength.

With a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Katie Volynets, the former No. 1 Naomi Osaka resumed her winning ways under new coach Patrick Mouratoglou, moving on to a round-of-16 match against sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.

With the head-to-head series locked at 2-2, this will be the first encounter between the two Grand Slam champions in over two years.

For me, it’s going to be an incredibly exciting test, Osaka remarked. She’s had a great season playing. Both I and the other players are eager to play and watch the action.

Osaka, ranked 73rd in the current rankings after returning from maternity leave at the beginning of the season, unleashed five aces and produced three service breaks.

After breaking with Wim Fisette, the four-time major winner teamed up with Mouratoglou just before the China Open. Osaka hasn’t won three straight games since May, but her current run here is a first.

Fifth place Jasmine Paolini‘s day was not to be remembered as the 45th-ranked Magda Linette of Poland humiliated her 6-4, 6-0.