{"id":1820360,"date":"2026-03-11T13:03:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1820360"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:03:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:03:25","slug":"naomi-osaka-reveals-how-aryna-sabalenkas-grunting-tricked-her-in-indian-wells-open-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1820360","title":{"rendered":"Naomi Osaka reveals how Aryna Sabalenka&#8217;s grunting &#8216;tricked&#8217; her in Indian Wells Open loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Naomi Osaka reveals how Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s grunting \u2018tricked\u2019 her in Indian Wells Open loss<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/ewan-west\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Ewan West                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"11 Mar 2026 1:03 PM\" data-ps-date=\"11 Mar 2026 1:03 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1773234205\"><br \/>\n                            11 Mar 2026 1:03 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/common\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred 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        <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/common\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/common\/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Naomi Osaka reveals how Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s grunting \u2018tricked\u2019 her in Indian Wells Open loss\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sabalenka-Osaka-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured L-R: Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Naomi Osaka has reacted to her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka at the 2026 Indian Wells Open and revealed how the Belarusian star\u2019s grunting \u201ctricked\u201d her.<\/p>\n<p>The world No 16 was beaten 6-2, 6-4 by world No 1 Sabalenka in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament in California on Tuesday. Osaka lost her serve three times and she was unable to break Sabalenka.<\/p>\n<p>It was only the second-ever match between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/naomi-osaka\">Osaka<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Sabalenka<\/a> after the Japanese star\u2019s victory over seven years ago at the 2018 US Open.<\/p>\n<p>Osaka and Sabalenka are two of the biggest stars on the WTA Tour, with the duo each having won four Grand Slam titles.<\/p>\n<p>In her post-match press conference, Osaka was asked if it felt like she was playing Sabalenka for the first time and if the feeling of the Belarusian\u2019s ball was what she had expected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, 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\u2019s very different,\u201d said the 28-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI also feel like I was a little, like, flat-footed sometimes, because I expected the ball to be coming harder but then it didn\u2019t. She grunts the same way for every ball. I was, like, \u2018Oh, my God, she tricked me (smiling).\u2019<\/p>\n<h2>Indian Wells News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/indian-wells-aryna-sabalenka-reveals-how-legendary-coach-re-worked-her-game-after-scintillating-win\"><strong>Aryna Sabalenka reveals how legendary coach re-worked her game after scintillating Indian Wells win<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/iga-swiatek-speaks-indian-wells-showdown-karolina-muchova-roger-federer-of-womens-tennis\"><strong>Iga Swiatek hails \u2018amazing\u2019 next Indian Wells opponent as \u2018Roger Federer of women\u2019s tennis\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, it was a cool learning experience. I know we haven\u2019t played for a long time, so I hope that we can play again sometime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Osaka added: \u201cYeah, I mean, it was definitely really tough, but honestly, my biggest takeaway is that I had a lot of fun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hadn\u2019t gotten the opportunity to play on Stadium 1, and to play against the No 1 player, it was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Osaka defeated Camila Osorio and Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva in her first two matches in Indian Wells.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to her appearance in Tennis Paradise, Osaka had not played since January, when she was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an abdominal injury.<\/p>\n<p>The former world No 1 was asked if she is confident that her injury troubles are behind her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, I mean, I think I\u2019m at an age now where I just have to, I\u2019m at the ripe age of 28, that, I don\u2019t know, I just have to take every day, like today obviously I didn\u2019t win, but I learned a lot. I had a lot of fun, and I didn\u2019t hurt myself,\u201d Osaka said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that\u2019s a W for me. I\u2019m lucky that I\u2019m able to play in Miami. I\u2019m going to be seeded there. It\u2019s quite different from last year, and yeah, I just want to continue doing well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, I look forward to all the Grand Slams\u2026 So, it will be a cool year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/indian-wells-roundup-mirra-andreeva-stagnant-criticism-alex-eala-reaction\">Mirra Andreeva told she is \u2018stagnant\u2019, Alex Eala\u2019s reaction &amp; ranking milestone \u2013 Indian Wells Open roundup<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Naomi Osaka reveals how Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s grunting \u2018tricked\u2019 her in Indian Wells Open loss Ewan West 11 Mar 2026 1:03 PM Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka. Naomi Osaka has reacted to her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka at the 2026 Indian Wells Open and revealed how the Belarusian star\u2019s grunting \u201ctricked\u201d her. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1820360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1820360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820360\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1820360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1820360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1820360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}