MELBOURNE, Australia – The problem for Naomi Osaka in Grand Slam tournaments comes in Week 1. However, go beyond that stage on the hard court majors and start preparing to record your name on the trophy.
Osaka won his fourth title in his last eight appearances in a Slam, emerging from what was initially a tight Australian Open final and stepping away from six consecutive games to beat Jennifer Brady 6-4 6-3 on Saturday.
With a strong serve that produced six aces, Osaka improved to 4-0 in the major finals, the first woman to start her career that way since Monica Seles did 30 years ago. For Osaka, this is part of a 12-0 record so far in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in the main ones.
“She played very well when she needed to,” said Brady. “She hit good shots when she needed them.”
Osaka, the Female Athlete of the Year in 2020, is also on a 21-game winning streak that dates back to last season. This includes a championship at last year’s US Open. She also won the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019.
“Tonight was not meant to be,” said Brady after participating in his first Grand Slam final at the age of 25. “I hope there are many more.”
Osaka, 23, was born in Japan, the daughter of a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, and moved to the United States with his family when he was 3 years old.
It was sown in the. 3 at Melbourne Park and is now guaranteed to move up to second place.
Only two active women have more Slam titles than Osaka: Serena Williams, 23, and her sister, Venus, seven.
Osaka’s next task is to improve on clay and grass: she never made it past the third round at the French Open or at Wimbledon.
“She is an inspiration to all of us, and what she is doing for the game is incredible to promote the sport,” said Brady, an American who was sown in 22nd place. “I hope the girls at home are watching and inspired by what she is doing.”
Brady had to go through a tough quarantine for 15 days when he arrived in Australia in January because someone on his flight tested positive for COVID-19 when he arrived.
This was a breakthrough in the competition during this tournament for Brady, who had not faced anyone in the Top 25, nor anyone who had ever participated in a Grand Slam semifinal.
Brady’s only previous appearance in the final four at a major tournament was at the US Open in September, when she lost to Osaka in three sets.
She was not able to push the champion that much this time.
“I told everyone who wanted to hear that you would be a problem – and I was right,” Osaka said to Brady with a laugh, after asking if she would rather be called Jenny or Jennifer. “Seeing your growth in the past few months is really cool for me.”
During the pre-game draw, the silver women’s trophy stood on a transparent plastic pedestal not far from Osaka, on its side of the net. After defeating Serena Williams in the semifinals, Osaka made his intentions clear: “I have this mentality that people don’t remember the runners-up. You can, but the name of the winner is the one that is recorded.”
And she keeps making sure that the name is hers.
It was colder than in Melbourne recently, with a temperature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and a breeze that made it difficult for both players to take the ball instead of hitting it and saying, ” Excuse me! “
The stadium was allowed to run at half capacity – about 7,500 people – after spectators were completely barred at the start of the tournament for five days during a COVID-19 blockade.
“Thank you for coming and watching. It’s really amazing for me,” said Osaka, whose US Open title in 2020 came in empty stadiums. “I didn’t play my last Grand Slam with the fans, so just having that energy, it really means a lot.”
In the Sunday men’s final (7:30 pm local time, 3:30 am ET on ESPN and ESPN App), No. 1 Novak Djokovic will seek his ninth Australian Open championship and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall. He faces No. 4, Daniil Medvedev, who leads a 20-game winning streak in his second important final.
On Saturday, the women’s fight was closed in 4-all, when Brady used a race-winning lob that she scored by waving her arms to request more noise from the crowd. It gained a breaking point – convert that, and it would serve for the opening set.
But Osaka erased the chance with a forehand winner on the cross court, and Brady’s two errors increased the score by 5-4.
Osaka then broke to grab the set, helped by Brady’s double foul and a shorthanded forehand to finish it off.
“It happens maybe once in ten times,” said Brady of that error, “or hopefully less.”
This was part of the six-game streak that put Osaka ahead 4-0 in the second and she was on her way.
“She plays so aggressively that she puts a lot of pressure on you to perform well,” said Brady, “and that is something that not every tennis player has the ability to do.”