Naomi Osaka has claimed a stunning victory in the US Open final, fighting back from defeat in the first set to triumph over Victoria Azarenka and secure her third Grand Slam title.
The world number nine got off to a shaky start in the first set, going down to rival Azarenka 6-1, but turned things around to claim the second 6-3.
She held on, eventually triumphing 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The 22-year-old also triumphed at last year’s Australian Open and the 2018 US Open. This means that she is the first person in two decades to go 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, a major milestone.
After her victory, Osaka laid down flat on the court to give journos a photo op, explaining:
“I always see everyone collapse after match point. But I always think you may injure yourself so I wanted to do it safely.”
When asked about how she managed to turn things around after the first set, Osaka told reporters:
Image: Getty Images / Matthew Stockman“I just thought it would be very embarrassing to lose this in under hour. I want to congratulate Vika. I actually don’t want to play you in more finals. I didn’t really enjoy that, that was a really tough match for me.”
