Naomi Osaka Is The Star Of The Future After Defeating Legendary Serena Williams Back To Back
Naomi Osaka defeats Serena Williams in the Australian Open Semifinals
By: Tialena Evans
There’s nothing better than a blockbuster matchup between two well renowned athletes. The legend, that is Serena Williams, faced off against another well respected powerhouse, Naomi Osaka, in Wednesday’s Australian Open Semifinals. While this was a highly anticipated match and thought to be a tight three-set battle till the very end, it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Osaka dominated with an overpowering 6-3, 6-4 victory over Williams, thus propelling her to the final.
Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, female athletes to ever grace this earth. She’s even in the conversation of being the greatest athlete that ever was, regarding her 23 Grand Slam Titles and her dominance on the court since a young age.
Although fans would love to watch her play forever, it’s notable to mention that her age has definitely shown in her play lately and new talent like Osaka just has the youth and growing hunger to become the next great.
The two stars first met at the 2018 US Open, their only other Grand Slam matchup, which Osaka also won in straight sets in an upset over Williams. With back to back losses to Osaka, it’s evident that Williams' pedestal is slowly being overtaken.
Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams to make the Australian Open final © William West, AFP
It must be a weird feeling for Williams to battle the manifestation of her influence. Osaka has shared that she grew up watching the Williams sisters and looked up to Serena’s dominance and work ethic.
“Just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream,” Osaka said.
She doesn’t even want to think about the end of Williams’s career.
“It’s kind of sad when you say it like that because, for me, I want her to play forever,” she told reporters. “That’s a little kid and me.
After Wednesday’s loss, Williams showed her appreciation to the small crowd, twirling around to acknowledge everyone in the stands, holding her hand to her heart, taking in every feeling at once.
During a news conference, when asked if the gestures were in reference to a goodbye, she didn’t quite know what to say. “ I don’t know— if I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone, so …” She later becomes too choked up to continue the conference, wiping tears from her face, and exiting the podium.
While Osaka has only won three grand slam titles and has a ways to go in catching William’s legacy, she has an abundance of years ahead of her at only 23 years old. Osaka is undoubtedly cut from the same regal cloth as Williams, and it will be amazing to see what the future holds for her career.
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