Japan’s Naomi Osaka battled past Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 to win her first Australian Open crown on Saturday. With the win, Osaka also became the top-ranked player, dislodging Simona Halep at the top of the tree.
The fourth seed and US Open champion made it two Grand Slam titles in a row, a rare feat in the women’s game today. Kim Clijsters was the last to achieve this feat, back in 2010-11 other than 23-time Major winner Serena Williams of course.
At 21, Osaka has a world at her feet and her rapid rise to the top over the past year has been nothing short of astounding. One of the most remarkable statistics that came out after the win: Osaka was at a lowly 72 when the 2018 Australian Open started. Now, she rules the tennis world.
During the US Open win, Osaka stood out by matching Serena’s power and mixing it up with superior athleticism. At Melbourne, Osaka displayed nerves of steel to stay in the hunt and to the better of Kvitova. Here’s how Twitter paid tribute to Osaka’s record triumph.
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