[ad_1]
Naomi Osaka won the final of the 2020 US Open on Saturday, in which she defeated Victoria Azarenka in a match played in three sets. It was a match between two former world leaders and between two generations of players.
The young Naomi Osaka (22 years old), a former world leader in women’s tennis, managed spectacularly on Saturday night to return to the game and beat the experienced and highly inspired Victoria Azarenka (31 years old), also a former WTA No. 1.
Naomi Osaka won the final of the 2020 US Open for the second time in her career. In this way she added to her record the third Grand Slam trophy in so many Grand Slam finals contested, a performance that had not been achieved since 2002, by Jennifer Capriati.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka, winner of the US tournament in 2018, defeated Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) after three dramatic and oscillating sets: 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, comments wtatennis.com. The game at Arthur Ashe Stadium lasted two hours without 7 minutes, and the Japanese got off to a bad start, but recovered along the way.
Viktoria Azarenka, in better shape after giving birth
Currently ranked 9th in the WTA rankings, Naomi Osaka was the No. 1 favorite. 4 of the tournament, while Viktoria Azarenka (27 WTA), fit, made it to the final at Flushing Meadows by defeating multiple champion Serena Williams in the semifinals.
By the way, last week, Azarenka also won the first title after the birth of her little one, Leo, in 2016. The culmination is that Azarenka became champion of the Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati), after having to face the same Naomi Osaka, but the Japanese withdrew from the final due to injury.
Now the Belarusian was two sets away from winning her first Grand Slam final in seven years. Like Osaka, before Saturday’s final, Azarenka had two Grand Slam trophies.
Naomi Osaka is behind Simona Halep in the WTA rankings
Naomi Osaka will now advance six places in the WTA rankings and reach the podium, falling just behind Simona Halep (No. 2 WTA). The two are separated by 576 points.
The US Open was a tournament that played out differently this year, in pandemic conditions and in the absence of many elite athletes, including Simona Halep, but also the champion, Bianca Andreescu.
Simona Halep participates next week in the tournament in Rome, a competition in which Naomi Osaka will not be present. Simona Halep is the main favorite of the tournament and will play directly in the second round, with the winner between Latvian Anastasija Sevastova and Italian Jasmine Paolini.
Editor: Luana Păvălucă
