Naomi Osaka wins her second US Open title: Records broken
Number four seed Naomi Osaka won her second US Open title with an extraordinary victory against Victoria Azarenka in the final. The 22-year-old made a stunning comeback despite losing the first set, having eventually sealed the match (1-6, 6-3, 6-3). Overall, this is her third Grand Slam title after winning the US Open (2018) and Australian Open (2019). Here are the records broken.
How did the match pan out?
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka was all over Osaka in the first 30 minutes as she secured a 6-1, 2-0 lead, with a game point on serve for 3-0. However, the latter found her touch in the second set, thereby winning six of seven games to reach the deciding set. Osaka then romped past Azarenka the final set (6-3).
A record third title for Osaka
Osaka is only the fifth woman to win first three majors finals of her career in Open Era after Virginia Wade, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles. Her incredible journey started from the 2018 US Open final, wherein she outclassed the 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. A year later, Osaka won the Australian Open by defeating Czech Petra Kvitova in the final.
First Asian player with three Grand Slam singles titles
Osaka is also the first-ever Asian player (man or woman) to capture three Grand Slam singles titles. Notably, China's Li Na is the only other singles champion from Asia with two majors titles (2011 Roland Garros, 2014 Australian Open).
With a terrific comeback, Osaka joins an elite list
After staging an awe-inspiring turnaround, Osaka became the first woman to rally from a set down and win the singles championship match, since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (1994). The former also maintained her unbeaten record since resumption of tennis as she is now 11-0, with four wins at the Western and Southern Open and seven at the US Open.
Other notable records scripted by Osaka
Osaka has now won a Grand Slam title on each of the three occasions where she has gone past the fourth round. Having won a Grand Slam title in each of the two years (2019, 2020) after the first (2018), the Japanese star joins yet another illustrious company comprising Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin.
