japan’s Naomi Osaka dismissed Jennifer Brady in straight sets to win the Australian Open in dominant style; for her fourth Grand Slam title on Saturday.
Osaka edged out a tight first set but controlled the second to win 6-4, 6-3 in 77 minutes in front of thousands of fans at Rod Laver Arena.
With serves that reached 122 mph and produced six aces and returns that helped create six breaks; Osaka became the first woman to win her first four major finals since Monica Seles did it 30 years ago.
That is part of Osaka’s 12-0 record in quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals at the majors.
“She plays so aggressively that she puts so much pressure on you to perform well,” said Brady, a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania who played college tennis at UCLA and was participating in a Slam final for the first time. “And that’s something that not every tennis player has that ability to do.”
4-0 in Grand Slam finals 🏆@naomiosaka | #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/6eQFXDqmYD
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 20, 2021
“You don’t go into a final wanting to be the runner-up. For me; I feel like every opportunity that I play a Slam is an opportunity to win a Slam,” said 23-year-old Osaka; who will move up to No. 2 in the WTA rankings. “So I think maybe I put that pressure on myself too much, but honestly, it’s working out in my favor right now.”
She has won half the majors she’s contested since beating Williams to win her first Slam title.
Osaka has now claimed back-to-back Slams twice and she survived a seesaw start to gain control, reeling off six straight games en route to the title.
Osaka was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, and she and her family moved to the United States; when she was 3. She has been a vocal advocate for Black victims of racism and police violence; saying at one tournament last year that she would refuse to play a match to spotlight the issue.