Decoding the career stats of Japan's Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka recently pulled out of the National Bank Open hard-court tournament ahead of the upcoming US Open. The world number two suffered a third-round defeat to Marketa Vondrousova in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Osaka, who also withdrew after the first-round match at Roland Garros, is expected to make a comeback at the US Open. We take a look at her career stats.
A look at her numbers
Osaka has a career win-loss record of 247-137. She is a four-time Grand Slam champion (58-24 at majors). The Japanese star claimed her first Grand Slam by winning the 2018 US Open. Osaka then won the 2019 Australian Open by defeating Petra Kvitova. She clinched her second US Open title in 2020. Earlier this year, Osaka won the Australian Open after beating Jennifer Brady.
Two back-to-back Grand Slam titles
In 2018, Osaka defeated the mighty Serena Williams to win the US Open. She followed it up by winning the the 2019 Australian Open. Osaka became the first player to win two singles titles in back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments since Jennifer Capriati in 2001. She also became the first woman to win successive major singles titles since Williams in 2015.
A second US Open title in three years
In 2020, Osaka, seeded fourth, won her second US Open title. She became only the fifth woman to win the first three major finals of her career in the Open Era after Virginia Wade, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, and Monica Seles. Osaka also became the first-ever Asian player (man or woman) to capture three Grand Slam singles titles.
A terrific comeback in the 2020 US Open final
Osaka overcame Victoria Azarenka, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, to win the 2020 US Open. With this, the Japanese had become the first woman to win a US Open singles final by making a comeback from a set down since 1994.
Third player to win first four major finals (Open Era)
In the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka recorded straight-set wins over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia, and Ons Jabeur, Hsieh Su-wei (quarter-finals), Serena Williams (semi-finals), and Jennifer Brady (final). The Japanese lost only one set during the tournament. By clinching her second Australian Open title, Osaka became the third player (Open Era) to win her first four Grand Slam finals after Roger Federer and Monica Seles.
Here are the other feats attained by Osaka
Osaka became the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam singles title (2018 US Open). After winning the 2019 Australian Open, Osaka was ranked number one by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). She became the first Asian player to hold the top ranking (singles). At the Tokyo Games, Osaka became the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony.
