Aryna Sabalenka predicts “fashion show” Indian Wells rematch vs. Naomi Osaka

Aryna Sabalenka doesn’t know for sure who she’ll face in the fourth round of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, but the world No. 1 knows what to expect should she face Naomi Osaka for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“Well, it would be for sure a fashion show at the beginning,” joked the top seed of their shared passion for fashion. “Then a crazy match. She's a great player. Came back after pregnancy. Incredible shape. I have been watching her matches, really admire her.”

Read more: Sabalenka sports 12-carat diamond for first match at BNP Paribas Open

The newly engaged Sabalenka, who partnered with Gucci during the Australian Open, praised Osaka for her daring pre-match fits during the season’s first Grand Slam.

“I think that was a perfect fit of her personality, her culture, a lot of things,” Sabalenka said in Melbourne of Osaka’s collab with couturier Robert Wun. That was pretty cool.”

Sabalenka and Osaka, who turned heads in her first Indian Wells match with a leopard-inspired fit, battled in a series of off-season matches in December—including the Gaden Cup in at Madison Square Garden—but incredibly, the two major champs haven’t played an official match since the 2018.

Osaka defeated Sabalenka in that year’s US Open fourth round in three dramatic sets, going on to win her first major title and become world No. 1 the following season. The match arguably delayed Sabalenka’s ascent to the top of women’s tennis by a full four years, the top seed not winning her first major until 2023.

“Probably I'll have a chance to get a revenge, hopefully,” she said of Osaka, who will first play Camila Osorio in the third round. “I would like to play her.”

Sabalenka is yet to drop a set in Tennis Paradise, her first tournament since reaching the Australian Open final back in February. A champion at the 2025 Miami Open, Sabalenka fell one match shy of the Sunshine Double by finishing runner-up to Mirra Andreeva in Indian Wells.