Naomi Osaka continues her reign at the top of tennis.
The star athlete won her fourth title in her past eight appearances at a Slam when she beat Jennifer Brady in straight sets to win the Australian Open Women’s Final on Saturday. With this win, she improved to 4-0 in major finals appearances, making her the first woman since Monica Seles to start her career with such dominance.
“She played really well when she had to,” Brady said to ESPN. “She hit good shots when she needed them.”
Osaka is currently on a 21-match win streak which included a win over the iconic Serena Williams. Heading into Melbourne, she was the No. 3 player in the world but after her impressive win, she’s likely to improve to No. 2. Osaka also won with grace, extending her congratulations to Brady during the trophy ceremony.
“I told everyone that would listen that you’re going to be a problem—and I was right,” she said to Brady after asking if she preferred to be called Jenny or Jennifer. “To see your growth over the past few months is really cool for me to see.”
Saturday was the first time the 25-year-old Brady competed in a Grand Slam Final. As for Osaka, she only trails Serena (23) and Venus (seven) Williams for active players with the most Slam titles.
