Paris (France) (AFP) – Four-time Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka will go head-to-head in the first French Open women's night match in three years on Monday, while Flavio Cobolli and Anna Kalinskaya booked their places in the quarter-finals.
Issued on: 01/06/2026 - 15:32
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World number one Sabalenka will likely face a stern test in her bid to win a maiden Roland Garros crown after suffering an agonising loss to Coco Gauff in last year's final.A resurgent Osaka has powered into the French Open second week for the first time in her career, looking more at home then ever before on the Parisian clay.It will be only the fourth meeting, all at the last-16 stage of tournaments, between two of the biggest stars in the sport.Osaka edged their first encounter en route to the 2018 US Open title and then they never met again until this year.Sabalenka saw off her Japanese opponent in straight sets in Indian Wells, before fighting back from a set down to win at the Madrid Open.They renew their rivalry with a quarter-final against either former Australian Open champion Madison Keys or Russia's Diana Shnaider up for grabs."It's nice to see her," said Sabalenka of Osaka, who took a break from tennis in 2023 to give birth to her daughter."She's a great player, great person. I feel like I really enjoy our battles. It's high-level matches, and I really enjoy when somebody pushes me to the limit."Osaka struggled initially for form after rejoining the tour, but reached the US Open semi-finals last year, the first time she had made the second week of a Grand Slam event since winning her second Australian Open title in 2021."I really wanted to make it a goal to do really well on clay and grass," said Osaka, who has never got past the third round at Wimbledon.Osaka has been wearing a sequined, gold dress in Paris, which she likened to the Eiffel Tower at night, but has said she may switch things up for the night session.Tournament organisers have been repeatedly criticised for overlooking women's matches for the night sessions.This will be the first time that WTA players have featured in the primetime slot since Sabalenka took on Sloane Stephens in the last 16 on June 4, 2023."I think it was pretty obvious this should be the night's match," tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters.Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova could not back up her win over defending champion Gauff, twice failing to serve for the match in a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/7) defeat by Kalinskaya.The Russian will next face either the last remaining French player Diane Parry or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys plays Diana Shnaider for the right to take on either Sabalenka or Osaka.Cobolli edges through
