[ad_1]
Having found her voice off the court, Naomi Osaka returned to the top with her third Grand Slam title.
The 22-year-old Japanese was widely outclassed by Victoria Azarenka in the first set, but recovered brilliantly to triumph 1-6 6-3 6-3.
The trophy goes into his collection along with those from the 2018 US Open, where his achievement was overshadowed by the infamous fight between Serena Williams and referee Carlos Ramos, and the 2019 Australian Open.
Already the world’s highest-earning female athlete, Osaka adds another £ 2.3 million in prize money to her fortune, while becoming the first Asian player to win three individual Grand Slam titles, surpassing the trailblazer. Chinese Li Na.
But this is a story about more than just tennis, with Osaka using her platform to promote Black Lives Matter and honor the victims of violence and brutality.
His seventh mask was named after Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun in 2014, while Osaka’s boyfriend, rapper Cordae, sat in the stands in a T-shirt that read ‘Withdraw funds from the police’.
When asked at the unveiling ceremony what message he hoped to send, Osaka replied harshly, “Well, what was the message you received? I feel like the point is to get people to start talking. “
Naomi Osaka’s seventh mask was named after Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun in 2014. Photo: AP
Osaka certainly has and, by playing for a cause greater than herself, has rediscovered the clarity of mind that characterized her first two titles.
She said: “My life was always good, going to tennis, especially after the previous US Open that I won. It definitely sped things up and I never got a chance to slow down.
“The quarantine definitely gave me the opportunity to think a lot about things, what I want to achieve, what I want people to remember me. I entered this tournament with that mindset. I think it definitely helped me. “
Also on Osaka’s mind was Kobe Bryant. She was friends with the basketball superstar, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in January.
“I feel like at this point there are certain things that I do and I hope they can make you proud,” he said.
“It’s keeping his legacy alive for me. I think it’s amazing how one person can inspire so many people. I just want to be the type of person that he thought I was going to be. He thought I was going to be great, so I hope to be great in the future. “
A lot of people would say that Osaka is cool right now, and the way she turned a match that seemed to have escaped her was hugely impressive.
Osaka lost the first set in just 27 minutes and came within a point of being 3-0 down in the second, but slowly began to play the match on her terms and survived a late wobble as Azarenka fought back 4-1 to 4. – 3 in the decider.
When asked how she turned the game around, the 22-year-old added: “I thought it would be very embarrassing to lose in less than an hour, so I have to try to stop having a really bad attitude.”
After her moment of victory, Osaka lay on the court drenched in her accomplishment in the cavernous surroundings of a nearly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I was thinking of all the times that I’ve seen great players fall to the ground and look up at the sky,” he said.
“I always wanted to see what they saw. For me, it was really an incredible moment. I’m very glad I did. “
Azarenka had to digest a third loss in the US Open final, but after her struggles on and off the court of the past three years, being a grand slam contender again seven years after her last title was a huge victory. .
“I think it’s definitely been a great three weeks of tennis,” said the 31-year-old. “I haven’t had such results in a long time, so I’m very excited about it.
“Today is a loss. It doesn’t change much for me. Of course, I would have loved to win. I gave everything I could. It didn’t come my way.
But I am very proud of the last three weeks. I felt like I made a lot of progress. I have played many great games. I felt that I have put myself physically and mentally to the test in very difficult stages.
“It was great. I want to continue on the same path, have fun. It was fun for me to play, to be in the final of the US Open. I am very grateful for this opportunity.”
