By Shara Talia Taylor
Naomi Osaka stretched out across the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium after an intense three-set match last Saturday afternoon..
She defeated Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 to win the women’s single title at the US Open.
“Yeah, I mean I was thinking about all the times I’ve watched the great players sort of collapse onto the ground and look up into the sky,” Osaka said sharing her thoughts when she laid on the ground after her victory. “I’ve always wanted to see what they saw. For me, it was really an incredible moment.”
Defeating a former world No.1 wasn’t an easy task for the 22-year-old. Osaka became the first woman since 1994 to win a US Open final after losing the first set.
Osaka felt she was not playing 100% in the first set and the beginning of the second set. 31-year-old Azarenka dominated the first set with serves, by coming into the net at opportune moments and with fast deep corner shots. Some were over hit out, but Azarenka moved Osaka back and forth across the baseline with deep shots. Osaka responded with strong defense, but lost points at times when her returns fell short. She once tossed her racquet down in frustration after hitting a ball into the net. “Yeah, I think in the first set I was so nervous, I wasn’t moving my feet,” she said. “I just felt like I was too much in my own head.
She said she changed her way of thinking and “ran with it”. Said Osaka, “then in the second set, of course I was down early, which really didn’t help me out,” she said. “I just thought to myself to be positive, don’t lose 6-1, 6-0, hopefully give her a slight run for her money.”
Osaka climbed her way back in the second set. She refused to give up at times when Azarenka was at the Ad-In point. Osaka’s serve started to improve. She moved in when necessary and hit stronger and smarter deep shots when Azarenka moved in. Azarenka missed those deep shots.
“I felt I had a little bit of an energy dip that I could maybe do a little better,” Victoria Azarenka said about her challenges in the second and third sets. “I think it’s something for me to learn, is how to maybe manage my energy a little bit more.”
Osaka reached the finals after her 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Jennifer Brady. Azarenka advanced to the finals after defeating Serena Williams 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.”She started hitting shots that she normally doesn’t make, she made those,” Williams said about the second and third sets of her match against Azarenka. “She just really stepped her level up.”
Williams fought hard throughout the tournament. Her final three matches each went three sets. Her strong serve was a huge asset. She led all women’s singles players with 70 aces, one at 124 mph, the fastest on the women’s side. “Well, I was trying different things all the time, but it’s very hard to resist against a strength like that,” said Tsvetana Pironkova about Williams’ improvements over their three-set match. “I’m not sure how many miles an hour was her serve, but it felt like a bomb at one point. I don’t know how many aces she made, but they felt quite a lot, as well.”
When Williams defeated Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 Sept. 9 in the quarterfinals advancing to the semi finals she passed Chris Evert’s record for the most US Open wins with106. Chris Everett held the record for most career singles victories at the US Open, with a total of 101. Williams said she will play the French Open which begins September 21st.
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
This was a US Open unlike any other. Matches were played without the public attending due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“The quarantine definitely gave me a chance to think a lot about things, what I want to accomplish, what I want people to remember me by,” said Osaka. “For me, I came into this tournament, or these two tournaments, with that mindset. I think it definitely helped me out.”
People will remember Osaka for her social activism. She wore different facemasks throughout the tournament featuring the names of black people tragically killed in America and brought awareness of police brutality and racial injustice.
Osaka claimed her first US Open victory in 2018. She now has won 6 career titles, 3 at the Grand Slams. Could this be the reign of Osaka?
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