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Naomi Osaka has won her fourth Grand Slam title, defeating Jennifer Brady in the 2021 Australian Open Women's Singles final on Saturday night.
Osaka won in straight sets 6-4 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena, continuing her dominant run of performances dating back to the resumption of Tennis in 2020 last August.
The opening set of the final was riddled with errors as both women battled the nerves of the occasion and also a gusting wind that created uncertainty.
Osaka was able to thump a forehand winner when facing a break point to fall behind 4-5 in the first set and, from that point, was in control.
She reeled off six games in succession to move to a dominant position in the final and was able to close out the triumph in convincing fashion.
The right-hander has now won four of the last nine majors played and is clearly the best woman in the world on hard courts.
"It feels really incredible to me. I didn’t play my last grand slam with fans, so just to have this energy, it really means a lot,” Osaka said.
“Thank you for opening your hearts and your arms towards us. For sure, I feel like playing a grand slam right now is a privilege, and it is something I won’t take for granted, so thank you for this opportunity.”
IMAGE: ABC.