Naomi Osaka's wait to go beyond the third round at Wimbledon continued as she squandered a one-set lead to lose to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Friday.

Osaka, a four-time grand slam champion, appeared to be on course for her first appearance in the round of 16 at SW19, on her fifth main-draw entry.

She took the opening set off Pavlyuchenkova within 37 minutes on No.2 Court, with the players trading breaks before Osaka inched ahead in the penultimate game.

However, Pavlyuchenkova combined her power with greater accuracy as she roared through the second set, teeing up a decider in front of a partisan pro-Osaka crowd.

Osaka responded to giving up an early break to get the set back on serve, but errors crept into her game when it mattered most, as she sent a pair of forehands off target when serving to stay in the contest. 

Having triumphed 3-6 6-4 6-4 in just over two hours, world number 50 Pavlyuchenkova will face Diane Parry or Sonay Kartal in the last 16, with American Amanda Anisimova a potential quarter-final opponent if she makes it that far. 

"It was a very tough match in general. I felt like I was behind for the majority of the match, so I just played point-by-point," Pavlyuchenkova said in her on-court interview.

"It's actually very slow out there but maybe that helped today. I'm incredibly happy because I was mentally tough in the three matches that I have won.

"I'm usually not so good on grass. The majority of you were cheering for Naomi today, but it's okay! As I said, I'm mentally tough so it's okay."

Into 4R for the first time in nine years 

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova comes from a set down to defeat Naomi Osaka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on No.2 Court #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/0ZwgDsYVc5

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2025

Data Debrief: Pavlyuchenkova ends long wait

Pavlyuchenkova made the Wimbledon quarter-finals back in 2016 while ranked 21st in the world, losing to eventual champion Serena Williams.

She then suffered three consecutive first-round exits, and this will be her first last-16 appearance at SW19 since that run to the quarters.

That nine-year wait between her first two runs to the round of 16 at Wimbledon is the joint-longest of any player in women's singles, equalling Pam Teeguarden (1972-1981).