Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said Sunday she favoured a "discussion" taking place over the Olympic Games taking place as Tokyo reels from a new coronavirus surge.

A virus state of emergency in Japan's capital city and other parts of the country was extended on Friday, less than three months before the delayed Games are due to begin.

There has been increasing pressure from the Japanese public to cancel the Olympics, which have already been postponed once from its original dates last summer due to the pandemic.

"For me, I feel like if it's putting people at risk and if it's making people very uncomfortable, then it definitely should be a discussion, which I think it is as of right now," the four-time Grand Slam winner said ahead of the Rome WTA tournament.

"Of course I would say I want the Olympics to happen, because I'm an athlete and that's sort of what I have been waiting for my entire life.&nbsp;

"But I think that there is so much important stuff going on, and especially the past year, I think a lot of unexpected things have happened.

"At the end of the day I'm just an athlete, and there is a whole pandemic going on."

More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries and regions are set to travel to Tokyo for the Games, with a decision on how many domestic fans -- if any -- can attend to be taken in June.

More than 300,000 people have signed an online petition titled "Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives", launched Wednesday by a lawyer and former Tokyo gubernatorial candidate.

Japan's has recorded just over 10,500 deaths from Covid-19, much lower than in many other countries, but its vaccine rollout is moving slowly and some areas have seen record cases as more infectious variants drive fresh waves of contagion.

Australian Open champion Osaka confirmed that she had been vaccinated.

"I have gotten vaccinated, so I think that at the end of the day you can't force anyone to be vaccinated, but I think if you're going into the Olympics and whatever makes the host country happy," she continued.

"For me I feel like whatever makes everyone more comfortable and more safe, and I think that, you know, there is going to be a lot of people entering the country so they definitely have to make the right decisions on that."

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said Sunday she favoured a "discussion" taking place over the Olympic Games taking place as Tokyo reels from a new coronavirus surge.

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said Sunday she favoured a "discussion" taking place over the Olympic Games taking place as Tokyo reels from a new coronavirus surge. A virus state of emergency in Japan's capital city and other parts of the country was extended on Friday, less than three months before the delayed Games are due to begin. There has been increasing pressure from the Japanese public to cancel the Olympics, which have already been postponed once from its original dates last summer due to the pandemic. "For me, I feel like if it's putting people at risk and if it's making people very uncomfortable, then it definitely should be a discussion, which I think it is as of right now," the four-time Grand Slam winner said ahead of the Rome WTA tournament. "Of course I would say I want the Olympics to happen, because I'm an athlete and that's sort of what I have been waiting for my entire life. "But I think that there is so much important stuff going on, and especially the past year, I think a lot of unexpected things have happened. "At the end of the day I'm just an athlete, and there is a whole pandemic going on." More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries and regions are set to travel to Tokyo for the Games, with a decision on how many domestic fans -- if any -- can attend to be taken in June. More than 300,000 people have signed an online petition titled "Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives", launched Wednesday by a lawyer and former Tokyo gubernatorial candidate. Japan's has recorded just over 10,500 deaths from Covid-19, much lower than in many other countries, but its vaccine rollout is moving slowly and some areas have seen record cases as more infectious variants drive fresh waves of contagion. Australian Open champion Osaka confirmed that she had been vaccinated. "I have gotten vaccinated, so I think that at the end of the day you can't force anyone to be vaccinated, but I think if you're going into the Olympics and whatever makes the host country happy," she continued. "For me I feel like whatever makes everyone more comfortable and more safe, and I think that, you know, there is going to be a lot of people entering the country so they definitely have to make the right decisions on that."

Osaka wants 'discussion' on Olympics amid virus surge in Japan

Reigning US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the Miami Open quarter-finals on Monday, stretching her win streak to 23 matches by defeating Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3.

The second-ranked Japanese star will next face Greek 23rd seed Maria Sakkari, who outlasted US 29th seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6) at the WTA and ATP Masters Series event.

"I started off really well and then for some reason I became a little sluggish. My speed didn't really feel the same," Osaka said.

"I thought it was really mental from then on. In the end, it was who fought the hardest."

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka broke at love for a 2-0 lead and broke again for a 5-1 edge but Mertens broke Osaka at love in the seventh game and denied four set points for Osaka to hold in an eighth game that lasted almost 10 minutes.

Osaka, seeking her first Miami crown, saved a break point with her third ace and finally finished off the first set on her seventh chance with a service winner.

In the second set, Osaka needed her fifth chance of the third game to break Mertens, only for the Belgian to quickly break back to 2-2 and hold to 3-2 before requiring treatment for a right shoulder injury.

Osaka won the last four games after that, breaking at love in the seventh game, holding at love in the eighth and breaking again to end matters after 88 minutes when Mertens netted a forehand.

Top-ranked defending champion Ashleigh Barty battled into the quarter-finals by outlasting former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.

Australia's Barty broke five times, the last when Azarenka netted a forehand volley to end matters after one hour and 52 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium.

Barty, who had to save a match point on the way to a three-set victory over Kristina Kucova in the second round, plays Tuesday against seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who downed Czech 19th seed Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-2.

"I'm just excited I get to be in another quarter-final of a big event," Barty said.

"I still feel like there's a lot better tennis left out there for me. I still don't feel like I'm playing my very best just yet, but I'm fighting through and I'm finding ways to win, which is great."

The 2019 French Open winner dominated the first set but Azarenka broke for a 2-0 lead in the second, then fought back from 0-40 down to hold for 3-0 on the way to forcing a third set.

After an early exchange of breaks, &nbsp;Azarenka denied Barty on two break chances in the fourth game but the 24-year-old Queenslander broke in the sixth game and again on the last point.

"First two sets probably had some pretty big momentum swings," Barty said. "But I think the third set was a real tussle."

Ukraine's fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina rallied to defeat Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.

"I'm really happy with how I bounced back from being a set down," Svitolina said. "I'm happy with how I'm playing and handling the pressure. I had to bring my best game to win."

Svitolina's quarter-final foe will be Latvia's 57th-ranked Anastasija Sevastova, who eliminated Croatia's 338th-ranked Ana Konjuh 6-1, 7-5.

<h2>- Tsitsipas, Rublev win -</h2>

On the men's side,&nbsp;Greek second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Japanese 28th seed Kei Nishikori 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 after an hour and 56 minutes to reach the last 16.

Tsitsipas will next face Italian 24th seed Lorenzo Sonego, who dispatched Colombian Daniel Galan 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.

Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev routed Hungarian 29th seed Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 6-1, to reach the fourth round.

"I've played some great tennis last couple of months," Rublev said. "We'll see if I can keep going."

The 23-year-old from Moscow will next face Croatia's 32-year-old Marin Cilic, the world number 45 who beat Italy's 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4.

"Very pleased," Cilic said. "Just have to battle it out with these youngsters. I've got to keep the heads high for the veterans on the tour."

Reigning US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the Miami Open quarter-finals on Monday, stretching her win streak to 23 matches by defeating Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3.

Reigning US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the Miami Open quarter-finals on Monday, stretching her win streak to 23 matches by defeating Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3. The second-ranked Japanese star will next face Greek 23rd seed Maria Sakkari, who outlasted US 29th seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6) at the WTA and ATP Masters Series event. "I started off really well and then for some reason I became a little sluggish. My speed didn't really feel the same," Osaka said. "I thought it was really mental from then on. In the end, it was who fought the hardest." Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka broke at love for a 2-0 lead and broke again for a 5-1 edge but Mertens broke Osaka at love in the seventh game and denied four set points for Osaka to hold in an eighth game that lasted almost 10 minutes. Osaka, seeking her first Miami crown, saved a break point with her third ace and finally finished off the first set on her seventh chance with a service winner. In the second set, Osaka needed her fifth chance of the third game to break Mertens, only for the Belgian to quickly break back to 2-2 and hold to 3-2 before requiring treatment for a right shoulder injury. Osaka won the last four games after that, breaking at love in the seventh game, holding at love in the eighth and breaking again to end matters after 88 minutes when Mertens netted a forehand. Top-ranked defending champion Ashleigh Barty battled into the quarter-finals by outlasting former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. Australia's Barty broke five times, the last when Azarenka netted a forehand volley to end matters after one hour and 52 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium. Barty, who had to save a match point on the way to a three-set victory over Kristina Kucova in the second round, plays Tuesday against seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who downed Czech 19th seed Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-2. "I'm just excited I get to be in another quarter-final of a big event," Barty said. "I still feel like there's a lot better tennis left out there for me. I still don't feel like I'm playing my very best just yet, but I'm fighting through and I'm finding ways to win, which is great." The 2019 French Open winner dominated the first set but Azarenka broke for a 2-0 lead in the second, then fought back from 0-40 down to hold for 3-0 on the way to forcing a third set. After an early exchange of breaks, Azarenka denied Barty on two break chances in the fourth game but the 24-year-old Queenslander broke in the sixth game and again on the last point. "First two sets probably had some pretty big momentum swings," Barty said. "But I think the third set was a real tussle." Ukraine's fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina rallied to defeat Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 2-6, 7-5, 7-5. "I'm really happy with how I bounced back from being a set down," Svitolina said. "I'm happy with how I'm playing and handling the pressure. I had to bring my best game to win." Svitolina's quarter-final foe will be Latvia's 57th-ranked Anastasija Sevastova, who eliminated Croatia's 338th-ranked Ana Konjuh 6-1, 7-5. - Tsitsipas, Rublev win - On the men's side, Greek second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Japanese 28th seed Kei Nishikori 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 after an hour and 56 minutes to reach the last 16. Tsitsipas will next face Italian 24th seed Lorenzo Sonego, who dispatched Colombian Daniel Galan 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev routed Hungarian 29th seed Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 6-1, to reach the fourth round. "I've played some great tennis last couple of months," Rublev said. "We'll see if I can keep going." The 23-year-old from Moscow will next face Croatia's 32-year-old Marin Cilic, the world number 45 who beat Italy's 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4. "Very pleased," Cilic said. "Just have to battle it out with these youngsters. I've got to keep the heads high for the veterans on the tour."

Osaka advances while Barty ousts Azarenka at Miami Open

Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday defeated Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open final as she continued her unbeaten streak to 21 matches (14 Grand Slam matches). Osaka, with the dominating win, becomes only the fourth active WTA player to win more than three major singles titles. Osaka also closed the gap with world number one Ashleigh&nbsp;Barty after finding herself second in the rankings following the win over Brady.

The 23-year-old becomes only the third player after Monica Seles and Roger Federer to win their first four major finals. This was Osaka's second Australian Open win as she continues to rise in the world of tennis.

Osaka won the tight first set while breaking Brady twice in the second to win the match 6-4, 6-3 in 77 minutes in front of thousands of cheerful fans at the Rod Laver Arena. Third-seeded Osaka now holds a 100 per cent record in Grand Slam finals following her win in 2018 and 2020 US Opens and 2019 win in Melbourne.

"We played in the semis of the US Open a couple of months ago and I told everyone that you're going to be a problem," Osaka told Brady at the trophy presentation.

"And I was right. It's really incredible to me to see your growth over the past few months, it's really cool for me to see."

<img alt="osaka" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4b53cea7-687a-43d2-baa7-4138452fa7e1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_93E9CH.jpg" />

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/king-novak-faces-challenger-medvedev-in-australian-open-final-365001" hreflang="en">King Novak faces 'challenger' Medvedev in Australian Open final</a>

Osaka saved two match points in the fourth round against Garbine Muguruza before lifting the coveted Australian Open trophy.

Osaka, who also beat her idol, Serena Williams, in straight sets in the semi-finals, has not lost a match in more than a year.

Brady belatedly conjured some resistance to break Osaka against the flow of play and claw back to 5-3. But the American bowed out as she started, with errors flying off her racket. Osaka served out the match to love, with a big serve sealing it when Brady thumped a forehand return long

More to follow...

Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday defeated Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open final as she continued her unbeaten streak to 21 matches (14 Grand Slam matches).

Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday defeated Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open final as she continued her unbeaten streak to 21 matches (14 Grand Slam matches). Osaka, with the dominating win, becomes only the fourth active WTA player to win more than three major singles titles. Osaka also closed the gap with world number one Ashleigh Barty after finding herself second in the rankings following the win over Brady. The 23-year-old becomes only the third player after Monica Seles and Roger Federer to win their first four major finals. This was Osaka's second Australian Open win as she continues to rise in the world of tennis. Osaka won the tight first set while breaking Brady twice in the second to win the match 6-4, 6-3 in 77 minutes in front of thousands of cheerful fans at the Rod Laver Arena. Third-seeded Osaka now holds a 100 per cent record in Grand Slam finals following her win in 2018 and 2020 US Opens and 2019 win in Melbourne. "We played in the semis of the US Open a couple of months ago and I told everyone that you're going to be a problem," Osaka told Brady at the trophy presentation. "And I was right. It's really incredible to me to see your growth over the past few months, it's really cool for me to see." ALSO READ: King Novak faces 'challenger' Medvedev in Australian Open final Osaka saved two match points in the fourth round against Garbine Muguruza before lifting the coveted Australian Open trophy. Osaka, who also beat her idol, Serena Williams, in straight sets in the semi-finals, has not lost a match in more than a year. Brady belatedly conjured some resistance to break Osaka against the flow of play and claw back to 5-3. But the American bowed out as she started, with errors flying off her racket. Osaka served out the match to love, with a big serve sealing it when Brady thumped a forehand return long More to follow...

Naomi Osaka dominates Jennifer Brady to win Australian Open final

Naomi Osaka clinched her fourth Grand Slam title Saturday after beating American Jennifer Brady at the Australian Open.&nbsp;

The 23-year-old became the first women's player to win her first four Grand Slam finals since Monica Seles in 1991.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Here, AFP describes how her two US Opens and two Australian Opens were won:

<h2>- US Open 2018 -&nbsp;</h2>

Osaka, 20, became the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam singles title by beating her idol Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 in a match marred by the American calling chair umpire Carlos Ramos "a thief" after being penalised.&nbsp;

A composed Osaka brushed aside the drama to record just her second career title, but her triumph was soured when the&nbsp;American crowd booed during the trophy presentation. Osaka tried to hide her tears and was consoled by Williams.&nbsp;

Seeded 20th, Osaka dropped just one set during the tournament and became the youngest US Open champion since Maria Sharapova in 2006.

<h2>- Australian Open 2019 -&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Osaka backed up her New York breakthrough by battling&nbsp;past Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 in a gripping final at Melbourne Park.&nbsp;

She overcame a trio of three-set matches en route to the final, but her hard-fought triumph meant she became&nbsp;the first Asian, male or female, to ascend to the world's top ranking.&nbsp;

Osaka, who wept tears of joy after a titanic battle lasting more than two hours, became the youngest woman to win back-to-back majors since Martina Hingis in 1998 and the youngest number one since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

<h2>- US Open 2020 -&nbsp;</h2>

The 22-year-old&nbsp;came from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka to clinch her third Grand Slam title.&nbsp;

The fourth seed fought back from 1-6, 0-2 behind to overcome her unseeded opponent from Belarus 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 inside an Arthur Ashe Stadium devoid of fans at Flushing Meadows.&nbsp;

Osaka walked on to the court wearing a mask bearing the name of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African-American boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014.&nbsp;

Osaka, of Japanese and Haitian heritage, won widespread praise for her support of the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing different masks each round to honour victims of racial injustice and police brutality.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Australian Open 2021 -</h2>

Beats Brady 6-4, 6-3 in just 77 minutes to complete a remarkable Covid-interrupted 12 months and 21 matches without a defeat on court.

Osaka broke the American twice in each set, and although Brady clawed back one of the breaks each time, she was ultimately undone by the firepower of the Japanese superstar in front of thousands of fans at Rod Laver Arena.

The world's top-earning female athlete, Osaka was pushed hardest in the fourth round when she had to save two match points against Garbine Muguruza but thereafter never looked in danger.

Naomi Osaka clinched her fourth Grand Slam title Saturday after beating American Jennifer Brady at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old became the first women's player to win her first four Grand Slam finals since Monica Seles in 1991.

Naomi Osaka clinched her fourth Grand Slam title Saturday after beating American Jennifer Brady at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old became the first women's player to win her first four Grand Slam finals since Monica Seles in 1991. Here, AFP describes how her two US Opens and two Australian Opens were won: - US Open 2018 - Osaka, 20, became the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam singles title by beating her idol Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 in a match marred by the American calling chair umpire Carlos Ramos "a thief" after being penalised. A composed Osaka brushed aside the drama to record just her second career title, but her triumph was soured when the American crowd booed during the trophy presentation. Osaka tried to hide her tears and was consoled by Williams. Seeded 20th, Osaka dropped just one set during the tournament and became the youngest US Open champion since Maria Sharapova in 2006. - Australian Open 2019 - Osaka backed up her New York breakthrough by battling past Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 in a gripping final at Melbourne Park. She overcame a trio of three-set matches en route to the final, but her hard-fought triumph meant she became the first Asian, male or female, to ascend to the world's top ranking. Osaka, who wept tears of joy after a titanic battle lasting more than two hours, became the youngest woman to win back-to-back majors since Martina Hingis in 1998 and the youngest number one since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010. - US Open 2020 - The 22-year-old came from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka to clinch her third Grand Slam title. The fourth seed fought back from 1-6, 0-2 behind to overcome her unseeded opponent from Belarus 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 inside an Arthur Ashe Stadium devoid of fans at Flushing Meadows. Osaka walked on to the court wearing a mask bearing the name of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African-American boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014. Osaka, of Japanese and Haitian heritage, won widespread praise for her support of the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing different masks each round to honour victims of racial injustice and police brutality. - Australian Open 2021 - Beats Brady 6-4, 6-3 in just 77 minutes to complete a remarkable Covid-interrupted 12 months and 21 matches without a defeat on court. Osaka broke the American twice in each set, and although Brady clawed back one of the breaks each time, she was ultimately undone by the firepower of the Japanese superstar in front of thousands of fans at Rod Laver Arena. The world's top-earning female athlete, Osaka was pushed hardest in the fourth round when she had to save two match points against Garbine Muguruza but thereafter never looked in danger.

Four for Osaka: How Naomi's Grand Slams were won

Naomi Osaka emphatically ended Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown with a straight-sets demolition in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday.

The Japanese third seed swept past the American veteran 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena in front of thousands of fans allowed back in after Melbourne lifted a snap five-day lockdown.

She will face either American Jennifer Brady or Czech Karolina Muchova on Saturday for a fourth Slam title after her success at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and last year, and Melbourne in 2019.

The victory left Williams, who won her last major in Melbourne in 2017, stranded on 23 Grand Slam titles as she strives to match Margaret Court's all-time record.

Since winning while pregnant in Australia four years ago, Williams has lost four Slam finals, including one to Osaka in a controversial and heated 2018 US Open decider which left both women in tears.

"I hit a lot of unforced errors in the first few games, I was just really nervous and scared," said Osaka, who reeled off five games in a row in the opening set after going 2-0 down.

"But then I sort of eased my way into it and the biggest thing for me was having fun."

"For me, it's always an honour to play her and I didn't want to go out (of the tournament) really bad, so I just tried my best," she added.

<h2>- Big-match experience -</h2>

While Osaka held a 2-1 head-to-head advantage going into the blockbuster clash, 39-year-old Williams had a huge edge on big-match experience.

Ahead of the showdown, she had won all eight of her previous semi-finals at Melbourne Park stretching back 18 years to when she beat Kim Clijsters on her way to her first title in Australia.

Her first ever Grand Slam semi, against Lindsay Davenport at 1999 US Open, was played when Osaka was just one.

But the 23-year-old boasted a 100 percent win record in Slams when she got past the fourth round, and she kept it intact Thursday.

Williams worked hard on her fitness during the off-season and quickly asserted herself, breaking Osaka straight away with the Japanese sensation having issues with the sun and ball toss.

She consolidated by holding serve, with Osaka guilty of five unforced errors in the opening two games.

Osaka said before the match she still felt intimidated seeing Williams on the other side of the net, but her early nerves soon settled.

She saved a break point in the next game and got off the mark with an ace, then broke back to level the scores at 2-2 when Williams sent a forehand long.

Now well and truly in her groove, with her forehand doing most of the damage, Osaka won five games in a row, and the set, to leave Williams stunned.

She broke again on Williams's opening serve of the second set, with the American screaming: "Make a shot, make a shot!"

With the crowd roaring her on, Williams stayed in touch and Osaka's eighth double fault gave her the American a break back.

But it was a short-lived reprieve with Osaka breaking again and calmly serving out for victory.

Naomi Osaka emphatically ended Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown with a straight-sets demolition in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday.

Naomi Osaka emphatically ended Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown with a straight-sets demolition in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday. The Japanese third seed swept past the American veteran 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena in front of thousands of fans allowed back in after Melbourne lifted a snap five-day lockdown. She will face either American Jennifer Brady or Czech Karolina Muchova on Saturday for a fourth Slam title after her success at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and last year, and Melbourne in 2019. The victory left Williams, who won her last major in Melbourne in 2017, stranded on 23 Grand Slam titles as she strives to match Margaret Court's all-time record. Since winning while pregnant in Australia four years ago, Williams has lost four Slam finals, including one to Osaka in a controversial and heated 2018 US Open decider which left both women in tears. "I hit a lot of unforced errors in the first few games, I was just really nervous and scared," said Osaka, who reeled off five games in a row in the opening set after going 2-0 down. "But then I sort of eased my way into it and the biggest thing for me was having fun." "For me, it's always an honour to play her and I didn't want to go out (of the tournament) really bad, so I just tried my best," she added. - Big-match experience - While Osaka held a 2-1 head-to-head advantage going into the blockbuster clash, 39-year-old Williams had a huge edge on big-match experience. Ahead of the showdown, she had won all eight of her previous semi-finals at Melbourne Park stretching back 18 years to when she beat Kim Clijsters on her way to her first title in Australia. Her first ever Grand Slam semi, against Lindsay Davenport at 1999 US Open, was played when Osaka was just one. But the 23-year-old boasted a 100 percent win record in Slams when she got past the fourth round, and she kept it intact Thursday. Williams worked hard on her fitness during the off-season and quickly asserted herself, breaking Osaka straight away with the Japanese sensation having issues with the sun and ball toss. She consolidated by holding serve, with Osaka guilty of five unforced errors in the opening two games. Osaka said before the match she still felt intimidated seeing Williams on the other side of the net, but her early nerves soon settled. She saved a break point in the next game and got off the mark with an ace, then broke back to level the scores at 2-2 when Williams sent a forehand long. Now well and truly in her groove, with her forehand doing most of the damage, Osaka won five games in a row, and the set, to leave Williams stunned. She broke again on Williams's opening serve of the second set, with the American screaming: "Make a shot, make a shot!" With the crowd roaring her on, Williams stayed in touch and Osaka's eighth double fault gave her the American a break back. But it was a short-lived reprieve with Osaka breaking again and calmly serving out for victory.

Osaka shatters Williams record bid to make Australian Open final

The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday.

On a warm and muggy day at Rod Laver Arena, Osaka attacked Hsieh's weak serve with gusto and the Taiwanese giantkiller quickly wilted under the pressure of her Grand Slam quarter-final debut.

Osaka had a torrid time in her last Australian Open clash against Hsieh in 2019, needing to come back from a set and a break down on the way to claiming the championship.

So the Japanese third seed was thrilled with her form against the Taiwanese maverick in a 66-minute clinic.

"Yeah, definitely really happy," 23-year-old Osaka said on-court.

"Really happy with how I played today. Every time I play her it's a real battle and, despite the score, this was again a real battle today."

Osaka's reward will be a semi-final against either Serena Williams or Simona Halep, the pair having a rematch of the 2019 Wimbledon final in the evening session at Rod Laver Arena.

"I always watch Serena's matches, anyway," said Osaka, who has never failed to win a Grand Slam after making the quarter-finals.

"Definitely going to be real fun."

Hsieh, 35, bowed out after a stellar tournament, having become the oldest women's player to debut in a Grand Slam quarter-final in the professional era.

The improbable angles conjured by her double-handed, double-sided game had Osaka in some trouble early, but Hsieh was unable to convert any of the three break points she raised in the opening games of the first set.

Osaka quashed the first of them in the opening game with an ace down the 'T' and smashed Hsieh's defences with a blazing backhand down the line to break to 3-1.

After holding on grimly through a 14-point game to hold serve, Osaka raised the pressure when Hsieh served to stay in the set at 5-2 and sealed it when the Taiwanese slapped a limp backhand wide.

Hsieh was soon in a tailspin, pounding a backhand well over the line to be broken to 2-0, emboldening Osaka to race to the finish.

Having suffered some famous wobbles in the past, there was no hint of frustration from Osaka when Hsieh saved two match points.

She bided her time to claim the win on the third when an overwhelmed Hsieh floated a sliced backhand long.

"I would say it makes me a bit more calm, realising that even when my back was against the wall, I still had chances," said Osaka, who saved two match points in a cliffhanger against Garbine Muguruza in her previous match.

"Even today when I had two match points and she saved them ... I was a bit more calm."

The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday.

The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday. On a warm and muggy day at Rod Laver Arena, Osaka attacked Hsieh's weak serve with gusto and the Taiwanese giantkiller quickly wilted under the pressure of her Grand Slam quarter-final debut. Osaka had a torrid time in her last Australian Open clash against Hsieh in 2019, needing to come back from a set and a break down on the way to claiming the championship. So the Japanese third seed was thrilled with her form against the Taiwanese maverick in a 66-minute clinic. "Yeah, definitely really happy," 23-year-old Osaka said on-court. "Really happy with how I played today. Every time I play her it's a real battle and, despite the score, this was again a real battle today." Osaka's reward will be a semi-final against either Serena Williams or Simona Halep, the pair having a rematch of the 2019 Wimbledon final in the evening session at Rod Laver Arena. "I always watch Serena's matches, anyway," said Osaka, who has never failed to win a Grand Slam after making the quarter-finals. "Definitely going to be real fun." Hsieh, 35, bowed out after a stellar tournament, having become the oldest women's player to debut in a Grand Slam quarter-final in the professional era. The improbable angles conjured by her double-handed, double-sided game had Osaka in some trouble early, but Hsieh was unable to convert any of the three break points she raised in the opening games of the first set. Osaka quashed the first of them in the opening game with an ace down the 'T' and smashed Hsieh's defences with a blazing backhand down the line to break to 3-1. After holding on grimly through a 14-point game to hold serve, Osaka raised the pressure when Hsieh served to stay in the set at 5-2 and sealed it when the Taiwanese slapped a limp backhand wide. Hsieh was soon in a tailspin, pounding a backhand well over the line to be broken to 2-0, emboldening Osaka to race to the finish. Having suffered some famous wobbles in the past, there was no hint of frustration from Osaka when Hsieh saved two match points. She bided her time to claim the win on the third when an overwhelmed Hsieh floated a sliced backhand long. "I would say it makes me a bit more calm, realising that even when my back was against the wall, I still had chances," said Osaka, who saved two match points in a cliffhanger against Garbine Muguruza in her previous match. "Even today when I had two match points and she saved them ... I was a bit more calm."

Osaka thrashes Hsieh to reach Australian Open semi-finals

Naomi Osaka saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over in-form Garbine Muguruza on Sunday.

The Japanese third seed was chasing the match from the start on Rod Laver Arena and looked defeat square in the face in the third set when the Spanish 14th seed had two opportunities to win the match with a break of serve.

Osaka saved both match points -- the first with an ace -- to turn the tide in the contest decisively and Muguruza exited the tournament a couple of games later after failing to win a point in her final service.

Fans remained absent from Melbourne Park for a second day because of the state of Victoria's coronavirus lockdown and Osaka's victory was greeted with taped applause piped into the stadium.

"I'm tired right now, that was tough," said Osaka, who mixed 40 winners with 36 unforced errors over the contest.

"Today I feel like I was intimidated, she is playing well. I had to go within myself, I couldn't play short balls to her because she'd put them away."

Next up for Osaka is an all-Asian quarter-final against unorthodox 35-year-old Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan, who will be playing in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.

"I'm not looking forward to it, every time we have played it's three sets," Osaka added. "It's fun when I'm not really angry. When I play her I just have to expect everything."

Although Osaka had never played Muguruza before, she had perhaps a better idea of what to expect from the former French Open and Wimbledon champion.

Muguruza, a finalist here last year, had conceded only 10 games in reaching the fourth round and continued that rich vein of form into Sunday's match.

Serving solidly and pouncing on anything short of perfect that flew off Osaka's racket, she grabbed what looked to be a crucial break of serve for 5-3 in the third set by steering a lovely backhand winner down the line.

Muguruza rued her missed opportunity but said she was happy overall with the start to her season.

"It's never a good feeling losing a match that you feel you could have changed in one second," the 27-year-old said.

"But I left the court with a good feeling, very good feeling about this tournament in general."

Naomi Osaka saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over in-form Garbine Muguruza on Sunday.

Naomi Osaka saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over in-form Garbine Muguruza on Sunday. The Japanese third seed was chasing the match from the start on Rod Laver Arena and looked defeat square in the face in the third set when the Spanish 14th seed had two opportunities to win the match with a break of serve. Osaka saved both match points -- the first with an ace -- to turn the tide in the contest decisively and Muguruza exited the tournament a couple of games later after failing to win a point in her final service. Fans remained absent from Melbourne Park for a second day because of the state of Victoria's coronavirus lockdown and Osaka's victory was greeted with taped applause piped into the stadium. "I'm tired right now, that was tough," said Osaka, who mixed 40 winners with 36 unforced errors over the contest. "Today I feel like I was intimidated, she is playing well. I had to go within myself, I couldn't play short balls to her because she'd put them away." Next up for Osaka is an all-Asian quarter-final against unorthodox 35-year-old Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan, who will be playing in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time. "I'm not looking forward to it, every time we have played it's three sets," Osaka added. "It's fun when I'm not really angry. When I play her I just have to expect everything." Although Osaka had never played Muguruza before, she had perhaps a better idea of what to expect from the former French Open and Wimbledon champion. Muguruza, a finalist here last year, had conceded only 10 games in reaching the fourth round and continued that rich vein of form into Sunday's match. Serving solidly and pouncing on anything short of perfect that flew off Osaka's racket, she grabbed what looked to be a crucial break of serve for 5-3 in the third set by steering a lovely backhand winner down the line. Muguruza rued her missed opportunity but said she was happy overall with the start to her season. "It's never a good feeling losing a match that you feel you could have changed in one second," the 27-year-old said. "But I left the court with a good feeling, very good feeling about this tournament in general."

Australian Open: Osaka back from the brink to reach quarter-finals

Naomi Osaka said Venus Williams had an "aura" and Serena hailed her ageless sister as "such an inspiration" after the 40-year-old powered into the Australian Open second round Monday.

Williams, who played her first Australian Open in 1998, battled past fellow veteran Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena in her 88th Grand Slam to ensure she lived to fight another day.

World number three Osaka, who also comfortably won, said the seven-time Grand Slam winner had long been a hero and she was amazed at her longevity.

"Ironically I actually interact with Venus more (than Serena)," she said after sweeping past Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2.

"For me, I feel like I do talk about Serena a lot, but Venus is sort of the reason why Serena is where she is."

"Of course, I always love to pay homage to her," she added. I feel like whenever I see her, it's really amazing just to watch how much she loves tennis.

"I see her smiling so much nowadays, so it's really nice to see. She just has this aura of loving the sport and this infectious energy. I hope that I can learn a lot from her."

Sister Serena, who crushed Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 in the first round at Melbourne Park as she aims for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, has spent the past few weeks with Venus as her hitting partner.

"She's such an inspiration because she never gets frustrated about her situation, health-wise. She's always looking on the bright side. Then she works so hard. Yeah, she's been great," she said.

Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's disease in 2011, a condition which leaves her weakened. She took up a vegan diet to stay competitive and combat the illness.

"It was so good to train with her. It was so good every day," added Serena.

"It's also very inspiring because she still pushes me on a level that no one's able to push me, so it was incredibly helpful."

Naomi Osaka said Venus Williams had an "aura" and Serena hailed her ageless sister as "such an inspiration" after the 40-year-old powered into the Australian Open second round Monday.

Naomi Osaka said Venus Williams had an "aura" and Serena hailed her ageless sister as "such an inspiration" after the 40-year-old powered into the Australian Open second round Monday. Williams, who played her first Australian Open in 1998, battled past fellow veteran Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena in her 88th Grand Slam to ensure she lived to fight another day. World number three Osaka, who also comfortably won, said the seven-time Grand Slam winner had long been a hero and she was amazed at her longevity. "Ironically I actually interact with Venus more (than Serena)," she said after sweeping past Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2. "For me, I feel like I do talk about Serena a lot, but Venus is sort of the reason why Serena is where she is." "Of course, I always love to pay homage to her," she added. I feel like whenever I see her, it's really amazing just to watch how much she loves tennis. "I see her smiling so much nowadays, so it's really nice to see. She just has this aura of loving the sport and this infectious energy. I hope that I can learn a lot from her." Sister Serena, who crushed Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 in the first round at Melbourne Park as she aims for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, has spent the past few weeks with Venus as her hitting partner. "She's such an inspiration because she never gets frustrated about her situation, health-wise. She's always looking on the bright side. Then she works so hard. Yeah, she's been great," she said. Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's disease in 2011, a condition which leaves her weakened. She took up a vegan diet to stay competitive and combat the illness. "It was so good to train with her. It was so good every day," added Serena. "It's also very inspiring because she still pushes me on a level that no one's able to push me, so it was incredibly helpful."

Serena, Osaka pay homage to Venus after Open win

Former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka withdrew from their warm-up tournaments for the year`s first Grand Slam on Saturday, citing injuries. 
 
Osaka pulled out of her Gippsland Trophy semi-final with an unspecified "niggling injury" but said she looked forward to competing at the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. 
 
"Sorry to Tennis Australia and the fans to have to withdraw today," Osaka said in a statement. 
 
"I have a niggling injury and in light of the AO on the horizon, I need to be cautious. I look forward to competing next week." 
 
The injuries were a further blow for organisers, coming a day after Serena Williams withdrew from her Yarra Valley Open semi-final against world number one Ash Barty. 
 
Barty will face a tough test in Sunday`s final against the in-form Garbine Muguruza, who backed up a 6-2 6-2 quarter-final win over Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin with a 6-1 6-0 thrashing of Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday. 
 
The Spaniard, the runner-up to Kenin at Melbourne Park last year, has dropped only 10 games in four matches on her way to the final. 
 
"I think I played well today, my serve was working well at the right moments and I was able to control the match," Muguruza said after wrapping up her win over the Czech in under an hour. 
 
"I`m expecting another battle tomorrow." 
 
Osaka`s withdrawal gave Belgian Elise Mertens a walkover to the final of the Gippsland Trophy, where she will meet Ekaterina Alexandrova or Kaia Kanepi. 
 
Azarenka, who won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2012-13, withdrew from her Grampians Trophy quarter-final against Anett Kontaveit, giving the Estonian a walkover. The WTA said the Belarusian had a lower back problem. 
 
Kontaveit will play Maria Sakkari in the semi-finals after the Greek ousted 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-2 in their quarter-final in front of a small crowd on Margaret Court Arena.

Former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka withdrew from their warm-up tournaments for the year`s first Grand Slam on Saturday, citing injuries.

Former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka withdrew from their warm-up tournaments for the year`s first Grand Slam on Saturday, citing injuries. Osaka pulled out of her Gippsland Trophy semi-final with an unspecified "niggling injury" but said she looked forward to competing at the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. "Sorry to Tennis Australia and the fans to have to withdraw today," Osaka said in a statement. "I have a niggling injury and in light of the AO on the horizon, I need to be cautious. I look forward to competing next week." The injuries were a further blow for organisers, coming a day after Serena Williams withdrew from her Yarra Valley Open semi-final against world number one Ash Barty. Barty will face a tough test in Sunday`s final against the in-form Garbine Muguruza, who backed up a 6-2 6-2 quarter-final win over Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin with a 6-1 6-0 thrashing of Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday. The Spaniard, the runner-up to Kenin at Melbourne Park last year, has dropped only 10 games in four matches on her way to the final. "I think I played well today, my serve was working well at the right moments and I was able to control the match," Muguruza said after wrapping up her win over the Czech in under an hour. "I`m expecting another battle tomorrow." Osaka`s withdrawal gave Belgian Elise Mertens a walkover to the final of the Gippsland Trophy, where she will meet Ekaterina Alexandrova or Kaia Kanepi. Azarenka, who won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2012-13, withdrew from her Grampians Trophy quarter-final against Anett Kontaveit, giving the Estonian a walkover. The WTA said the Belarusian had a lower back problem. Kontaveit will play Maria Sakkari in the semi-finals after the Greek ousted 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-2 in their quarter-final in front of a small crowd on Margaret Court Arena.

Osaka, Azarenka pull out of Australian Open warm-ups

Naomi Osaka is no longer focused on reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking and says she just wants to become more consistent and play every match as hard as she can.

ALSO SEE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-naomi-osaka-to-sofia-kenin-here-are-five-women-to-watch-at-the-australian-open-361564" hreflang="en">From Naomi Osaka to Sofia Kenin: Here are five women to watch at the Australian Open</a> 
 
Three-times Grand Slam champion Osaka rose to the top of the rankings following her 2019 Australian Open triumph but is currently third behind Ash Barty and Simona Halep. 
 
The 23-year-old, who plays former quarter-finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round at Melbourne Park, won her second U.S. Open title last year and is widely seen as having the potential to dominate the women`s circuit for years to come. 
 
"It doesn`t bother me as much as it used to because I remember when I first got to No. 1, I think nobody really acknowledged me as No. 1," she told reporters on Saturday. 
 
"I remember I was in Indian Wells and I was talking to someone, they were like, `what side of the draw are you on?` And the No. 1 is always on the top side. 
 
"It just made me think, wow, people don`t really see me as No. 1. ... since that point I just kept trying to prove myself. 
 
"That wasn`t really a good mindset to have. 
 
"Right now I`m at a really good place, I just want to play every match as hard as I can. If it comes to the point where I`m able to be No. 1 again, I`ll embrace it, but I`m not really chasing it any more." 
 
Players did not have the ideal preparation for the year`s first Grand Slam due to Australia`s strict 14-day isolation requirement. Osaka pulled out of her Gippsland Trophy semi-final on Saturday with a shoulder "niggle" as she did not want to risk it before the major. 
 
"Anyone that`s kind of followed me for a bit knows that I`ve kind of had a slight shoulder thing since like 2018 in Beijing," she said. 
 
"It kind of flared up again because I played a lot of matches back-to-back. My main focus is hoping I can rest enough before the Open."

Naomi Osaka is no longer focused on reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking and says she just wants to become more consistent and play every match as hard as she can.

Naomi Osaka is no longer focused on reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking and says she just wants to become more consistent and play every match as hard as she can. ALSO SEE: From Naomi Osaka to Sofia Kenin: Here are five women to watch at the Australian Open Three-times Grand Slam champion Osaka rose to the top of the rankings following her 2019 Australian Open triumph but is currently third behind Ash Barty and Simona Halep. The 23-year-old, who plays former quarter-finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round at Melbourne Park, won her second U.S. Open title last year and is widely seen as having the potential to dominate the women`s circuit for years to come. "It doesn`t bother me as much as it used to because I remember when I first got to No. 1, I think nobody really acknowledged me as No. 1," she told reporters on Saturday. "I remember I was in Indian Wells and I was talking to someone, they were like, `what side of the draw are you on?` And the No. 1 is always on the top side. "It just made me think, wow, people don`t really see me as No. 1. ... since that point I just kept trying to prove myself. "That wasn`t really a good mindset to have. "Right now I`m at a really good place, I just want to play every match as hard as I can. If it comes to the point where I`m able to be No. 1 again, I`ll embrace it, but I`m not really chasing it any more." Players did not have the ideal preparation for the year`s first Grand Slam due to Australia`s strict 14-day isolation requirement. Osaka pulled out of her Gippsland Trophy semi-final on Saturday with a shoulder "niggle" as she did not want to risk it before the major. "Anyone that`s kind of followed me for a bit knows that I`ve kind of had a slight shoulder thing since like 2018 in Beijing," she said. "It kind of flared up again because I played a lot of matches back-to-back. My main focus is hoping I can rest enough before the Open."

Osaka strives for consistency, not No. 1 ranking

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka on Friday called Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori "ignorant", however, she maintained silence on calls of his resignation.&nbsp;

ALSO SEE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-naomi-osaka-to-sofia-kenin-here-are-five-women-to-watch-at-the-australian-open-361564" hreflang="en">From Naomi Osaka to Sofia Kenin: Here are five women to watch at the Australian Open</a>

Former Japanese Prime Minister Mori, this week, said that women talked for too long in meetings. These remarks stirred massive controversies across the globe. The 83-year-old retracted and apologised for the comments he had made in a meeting with the Japan Olympic Committee but refused calls to resign.

"I did look at the comments. I didn't think they were good," Osaka told a news conference in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.

ALSO SEE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/economy-to-values-tokyo-olympics-highlight-stark-difference-from-1964-to-2021-358853" hreflang="en">Economy to values: Tokyo Olympics highlight stark difference from 1964 to 2021</a>

She said she wanted to hear the reasoning behind the remarks and the perspective of those around Mori.

"I think if you're in a position like that, you really should think before you say anything. I don't know in what situation he said those things, but I think it's really uninformed and a bit ignorant."

Osaka has been the poster girl of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She went on to become first Asian player to be ranked world number one. She spoke on several issues during the Black Lives Matter protests.&nbsp;

"I'm a tennis player - what an interesting subject matter to be thrown," Osaka said when asked to elaborate on Mori's comments. "Do I think he should resign?

"I think someone that makes comments like that, they need to have more knowledge on the thing that they're talking about. I'm not sure if it's a situation where someone should demand that he resigns or if it's just something that people need to make him understand that what he said wasn't right."

(Inputs from Reuters)

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka on Friday called Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori "ignorant", however, she maintained silence on calls of his resignation. ALSO SEE: From Naomi Osaka to Sofia Kenin: Here are five women to watch at the Australian Open Former Japanese Prime Minister Mori, this week, said that women talked for too long in meetings.

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka on Friday called Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori "ignorant", however, she maintained silence on calls of his resignation. ALSO SEE: From Naomi Osaka to Sofia Kenin: Here are five women to watch at the Australian Open Former Japanese Prime Minister Mori, this week, said that women talked for too long in meetings. These remarks stirred massive controversies across the globe. The 83-year-old retracted and apologised for the comments he had made in a meeting with the Japan Olympic Committee but refused calls to resign. "I did look at the comments. I didn't think they were good," Osaka told a news conference in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. ALSO SEE: Economy to values: Tokyo Olympics highlight stark difference from 1964 to 2021 She said she wanted to hear the reasoning behind the remarks and the perspective of those around Mori. "I think if you're in a position like that, you really should think before you say anything. I don't know in what situation he said those things, but I think it's really uninformed and a bit ignorant." Osaka has been the poster girl of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She went on to become first Asian player to be ranked world number one. She spoke on several issues during the Black Lives Matter protests. "I'm a tennis player - what an interesting subject matter to be thrown," Osaka said when asked to elaborate on Mori's comments. "Do I think he should resign? "I think someone that makes comments like that, they need to have more knowledge on the thing that they're talking about. I'm not sure if it's a situation where someone should demand that he resigns or if it's just something that people need to make him understand that what he said wasn't right." (Inputs from Reuters)

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka calls Mori 'ignorant' over sexist remarks

From Naomi Osaka to Sofia Kenin: Here are five women to watch at the Australian Open

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka on Sunday said that she would be willing to go through another two weeks of quarantine to play at the Tokyo Olympics later this year if it helped ensure the safety of the people of her home country.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/im-not-going-to-lie-i-didnt-miss-the-game-that-much-nick-kyrgios-360278" hreflang="en">'I'm not going to lie. I didn't miss the game that much': Nick Kyrgios</a>

"The way that I feel is I will stay in my room for two weeks to play the Olympics," the 23-year-old told reporters on Sunday.

"I missed out on the last one. Playing in Tokyo would be very special to me. My concern would be the general safety of everyone else because you're opening the country.

"Everyone is flying in from different places. I would just want the public to feel safe. I feel like the athletes definitely would want to play, but I would want the public to feel safe."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohan-bopanna-finds-new-doubles-partner-ahead-of-australian-open-360292" hreflang="en">Rohan Bopanna finds new doubles' partner ahead of Australian Open</a>

US Open champion Osaka also said that she was looking forward to getting a decent amount of match practice this week in the Gippsland Trophy, which is a warm-up tournament at Melbourne Park.&nbsp;

"I'm actually really happy," she said. "For me, I like it's being held at the same spot. I know normally we don't get that sort of luxury."

Osaka also talked about fans, who will be attending the year's first Grand Slam that will kick off on February 8, however, she also talked about its downside.&nbsp;

"I think I get distracted by the crowd sometimes because I want to show off a little bit, so I do some crazy shots," she said.

"(But) I would say I definitely love having a crowd watching. I feel like you sort of interact with them. Sometimes they shout things and it makes you laugh."

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka on Sunday said that she would be willing to go through another two weeks of quarantine to play at the Tokyo Olympics later this year if it helped ensure the safety of the people of her home country.

Japanese ace Naomi Osaka on Sunday said that she would be willing to go through another two weeks of quarantine to play at the Tokyo Olympics later this year if it helped ensure the safety of the people of her home country. ALSO READ: 'I'm not going to lie. I didn't miss the game that much': Nick Kyrgios "The way that I feel is I will stay in my room for two weeks to play the Olympics," the 23-year-old told reporters on Sunday. "I missed out on the last one. Playing in Tokyo would be very special to me. My concern would be the general safety of everyone else because you're opening the country. "Everyone is flying in from different places. I would just want the public to feel safe. I feel like the athletes definitely would want to play, but I would want the public to feel safe." ALSO READ: Rohan Bopanna finds new doubles' partner ahead of Australian Open US Open champion Osaka also said that she was looking forward to getting a decent amount of match practice this week in the Gippsland Trophy, which is a warm-up tournament at Melbourne Park. "I'm actually really happy," she said. "For me, I like it's being held at the same spot. I know normally we don't get that sort of luxury." Osaka also talked about fans, who will be attending the year's first Grand Slam that will kick off on February 8, however, she also talked about its downside. "I think I get distracted by the crowd sometimes because I want to show off a little bit, so I do some crazy shots," she said. "(But) I would say I definitely love having a crowd watching. I feel like you sort of interact with them. Sometimes they shout things and it makes you laugh."

Naomi Osaka willing to spend two more weeks in quarantine to play in the Olympics

Japan's three-times Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka has invested in National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team North Carolina Courage to become a team owner, the U.S. top-flight club said on Thursday.

"The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don't know where I would be without them," Osaka, the world number three, wrote on Twitter.

"Throughout my career I've always received so much love from my fellow female athletes so that's why I am proud to share that I am now an owner of the NC Courage."

Osaka, 23, was named Forbes' highest-paid female athlete in May last year when she surpassed her idol Serena Williams, raking in $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements over 12 months.

Courage, founded in 2017 by Stephen Malik who acquired the franchise rights from 2016 champions Western New York Flash, won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 after moving to North Carolina.

"I am thrilled to welcome Naomi as an owner of the North Carolina Courage," Malik, chairman of the club, said.

"She brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports. I cannot think of anyone better to help us as we continue to make a difference in our community and inspire the next generation of women."

Osaka, who won the U.S. Open last year, has used her standing in the sport to fight for racial justice and at every round of the tournament in New York she wore masks bearing the names of Black Americans who had been killed.

Japan's three-times Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka has invested in National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team North Carolina Courage to become a team owner, the U.

Japan's three-times Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka has invested in National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team North Carolina Courage to become a team owner, the U.S. top-flight club said on Thursday. "The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don't know where I would be without them," Osaka, the world number three, wrote on Twitter. "Throughout my career I've always received so much love from my fellow female athletes so that's why I am proud to share that I am now an owner of the NC Courage." Osaka, 23, was named Forbes' highest-paid female athlete in May last year when she surpassed her idol Serena Williams, raking in $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements over 12 months. Courage, founded in 2017 by Stephen Malik who acquired the franchise rights from 2016 champions Western New York Flash, won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 after moving to North Carolina. "I am thrilled to welcome Naomi as an owner of the North Carolina Courage," Malik, chairman of the club, said. "She brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports. I cannot think of anyone better to help us as we continue to make a difference in our community and inspire the next generation of women." Osaka, who won the U.S. Open last year, has used her standing in the sport to fight for racial justice and at every round of the tournament in New York she wore masks bearing the names of Black Americans who had been killed.

Tennis champion Osaka invests in NWSL side North Carolina Courage

Yearender 2020: The year 2020 was supposed to be gruelling and hectic across sports. The year started normally but chaos struck when the novel coronavirus started to take almost every country under its dreaded wings.

Yearender 2020: The year 2020 was supposed to be gruelling and hectic across sports. The year started normally but chaos struck when the novel coronavirus started to take almost every country under its dreaded wings. Sporting events suffered postponement, cancellations. Even the unthinkable happened. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were also rescheduled by a year. After months of lockdown, life started to return to normalcy. Sporting events resumed albeit behind closed doors while maintaining strict COVID-19 protocols. Tournaments, leagues, series opened up as grounds welcomed back the athletes. Records were shattered, TV ratings reached new heights as fans, who were in a dearth of sport, tuned to watch their favourite teams and players play. As the unforgettable year 2020 comes to an end, let us take a look at some of the most memorable sporting moments of the year. ALSO READ: From Hamilton to Ronaldo: Athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 ALSO READ: From NBA to Super Bowl: Here's complete list of winners in 2020 Lionel Messi-Barcelona Saga: With 2020 being a strange year, the footballing world saw one of the unlikeliest incidents. Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi handed in a transfer request, via a burofax, to Barcelona urging the Spanish giants to release him from his duties after serving them for close to two decades. Messi and Barcelona are like a pure love story but Messi’s relation with club president Josep Bartomeu turned sour. The Argentine maestro gave an explosive interview during the entire episode where he revealed how unhappy he is at Nou Camp while revealing why he wanted to leave the club. Ultimately, Barcelona didn’t allow Messi to leave and the Argentine stayed put at Nou Camp to avoid a legal battle with the club he loves. #messileavingbarca exclusive interview with @goal.@fundacionmessi explained to the president his desire to leave and the president always said he can leave at the end of the season, only for the president to have lied.#Barcelona#messileavingbarca#BartomeuOUT#Messi pic.twitter.com/kE3DTF3saU — Marqohpolo 💙💛 (@marqohpolo) September 6, 2020 × Rafael Nadal completes 20th Grand Slam: With uncertainty and risk factor surrounding COVID-19, Rafael Nadal decided to skip the US Open 2020 but returned back to his favourite – Rolland Garros – as he continued to shatter the record books. Nadal steamrolled to the final, without even dropping a set, to set a blockbuster clash with Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard went on to defeat world number one Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to claim his 13th French Open title while equalising Roger Federer’s 20 Grand Slams. Wanted to share a nice picture with you 😉 @rolandgarros 👉🏻 #Paris #13 #Vamos 💪🏻😘 pic.twitter.com/SNgy5YYWCa — Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 12, 2020 × Naomi Osaka lets her masks do the talking: The year 2020 saw the entire world, including many high-profile athletes, speak out against racial discrimination. Following the death of an African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis, under police custody, massive outrage broke out. Naomi Osaka, not only joined the protests in US, but also wore masks during the US Open, with names of black victims of police brutality in the US. Osaka made seven masks for the US Open with a view of reaching the final of the Grand Slam event and not only did she reach the final but also lifted the coveted trophy by winning a nail-biting summit clash. .@naomiosaka walked out in a Breonna Taylor mask for her night match at Arthur Ashe stadium.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/Ubxwst54kl — US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2020 × IN PICS | Ace Naomi Osaka pays tribute to black lives in a unique fashion! MS Dhoni’s international retirement: Former India captain and one of the most decorated cricketers of all-time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020. Dhoni, who doesn’t do many interviews, took to social media platform Instagram to post a classic Indian song merged with images from his career as he quit international cricket in the most MS Dhoni-esque fashion one could imagine. The entire cricket fraternity was left emotional by Dhoni’s retirement and poured heartfelt tributes to the legendary Indian captain. Dhoni participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 for Chennai Super Kings and will continue to do so for the time being. View this post on Instagram A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) × Liverpool win Premier League after 30 years: Under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool ended their 30-year wait of lifting the Premier League title as the Reds comfortably won the league by 18 points. Liverpool accumulated a staggering 99 points, 18 more than second-placed Manchester City, to break the Premier League title drought. In 38 matches, Liverpool won 32 matches while drawing three and losing as many in what is regarded as one of the best seasons for English top-flight club. WE’RE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qX7Duxoslm — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 25, 2020 × Australia Women’s Cricket team dominate the world stage, again: Australia Women’s team continued to stamp their authority in world cricket as they lifted their fifth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title on March 8. It was one of the last major tournaments in world sport that featured capacity crowd. As many as 86, 174 fans witnessed the summit clash between India and Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in what was a record crowd for a women’s cricket game. Australia won the final by 85 runs. WORLD CHAMPIONS ON HOME SOIL This is for you, Australia 💚💛#CmonAussie pic.twitter.com/IbgIbTGAOK — Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) March 8, 2020 × Lewis Hamilton equals Michael Schumacher’s record: Hailed as one of the best F1 drivers of all-time, Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of winning seven world championships. Shattering the record books, Hamilton won 11 of the 17 races in 2020 F1 season to take his tally past Schumacher’s 91 Grand Prix wins to 95. Utilising a breathtaking Mercedes car, Hamilton skipped past everyone to record one of the finest seasons of all-time in F1 history. If reports are to be believed then Hamilton will soon be honoured with knighthood and will become one of the few sportspersons to have achieved the tag of ‘Sir’ during their playing days. A day i’ll never forget 🏆#S7ILLRISING pic.twitter.com/O1Y6eD9iQX — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 15, 2020 × Indian Premier League in the UAE: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 suffered postponement after the outbreak of coronavirus in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to take the money-spinning T20 tournament to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid the pandemic and to everyone surprise, it pulled off the event without a hitch. Even though it was played in front of empty stands, IPL 2020 was widely watched and celebrated by the sporting fans and shattered television records. The tournament became the first multi-team cricket tournament to take place after COVID-19 enforced break in March. Happy that we gave people something to cheer for: @mipaltan' five-time IPL winning captain @ImRo45 👏🙌🏆#Dream11IPL #Final #MIvDC pic.twitter.com/l8aUTvtLaa — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 10, 2020 × Bayern Munich win it all: German giants Bayern Munich completed a quintuple as they won the German domestic treble while winning the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the FIFA Club World Cup was cancelled or else, Bayern Munich would have had a real shot at winning all six trophies in club football – achieved by a few clubs till date. Not only did Bayern Munich compete as a team, their striker Robert Lewandowski, who had a sensational season in front of the net, was awarded UEFA’s Best Player of the Year award as he beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to lift the coveted title. König Lewy hat 2020 regiert! 👑🏆#MiaSanMia @lewy_official #TheBest #LewanGOALski #LEGENDowski pic.twitter.com/xVXoIFCzRg — FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) December 29, 2020 × Team India's Adelaide Horror and Melbourne comeback: The Indian cricket team were bundled out for their lowest-ever Test score (36) by Australia in the Adelaide Test - the first of the four Test matches of the blockbuster series. India were left stunned by the Australian bowlers as the visitors surrendered in front of the hostile Aussie attack. India went on to lose the match by eight wickets and concede an early 1-0 series lead to Australia. While many teams have been down and out with low confidence and self-doubt, India bounced back strong, without their talisman Virat Kohli, in the Boxing Day Test to dominate Australia and win the match by eight wickets. As Indian head coach Ravi Shastri said, this win will be regarded as one of the greatest comebacks/wins of all-time. https://t.co/eQNZo0Ou2G! 👏👏#TeamIndia bounce back in style to beat Australia by 8⃣ wickets to level the four-match series. 👍👍 #AUSvIND Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/lyjpjyeMX5 pic.twitter.com/FgepGB00uE — BCCI (@BCCI) December 29, 2020 ×

Yearender 2020: From Dhoni's retirement to Hamilton's 7th - Check out the most memorable sporting moments

NBA champion LeBron James, Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and Japan's Naomi Osaka were among five athletes honored Sunday by Sports Illustrated magazine for their off-field activism.

SI's annual Sportsperson of the Year was The Activist Athlete and paid tribute to off-field activities by James, Osaka,&nbsp;Mahomes and his NFL teammate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Women's NBA champion Breanna Stewart.

The magazine cited "five men and women who in 2020 were champions in every sense of the word: champions on the field, champions for others off it."

James sparked the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title, capturing the fourth of his career, and became the first three-time winner of the SI sportsperson award after 2012 and 2016, having previously matched the two Sportsperson awards given golfer Tiger Woods in 1996 and 2000.

"With his efforts for racial justice, education reform and Black community empowerment as well as his voting rights campaign and varied charitable work, there is no doubt that he sets the standard for the modern socially conscious athlete," SI said of James, who was also awarded the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award for his career dedication to public service.

James spoke out on police brutality, racial inequality and championed a voter registration program, More Than A Vote, that helped sign up more than 10,000 poll workers as well as register voters in combating voter suppression.

Osaka won her third Grand Slam tennis title at this year's US Open. She took part in Black Lives Matter protests this year following the death of George Floyd and wore black masks during her US Open run, each with the name of an African-American killed by police.

Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Mahomes sparked the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl crown, pushed the NFL to recognize the Black Lives Matter movement and backed the right of NFL players to conduct social protests.

Duvernay-Tardif, the starting right offensive guard for the Chiefs but also a doctor, gave up his NFL uniform for doctor's protective personal equipment when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, joining the front line of a battle for people's lives.

Stewart supported Black Lives Matter from the start of the Women's NBA bubble to the finish, when she helped the Seattle Storm claim a fourth title and winning WNBA Finals MVP honors after recovering from an Achilles injury.

"If there is brightness in this dark year, it's the leadership -- and sorely needed optimism -- shown by some of our nation's top athletes in facing down our many challenges," SI wrote in announcing the winners.

"The issues and challenges of 2020 will no doubt still be there in 2021 and beyond. But our Sportspersons of the Year set an example of how to face and one day fix them. With principle. With passion. And with an athlete's optimism -- the belief that no matter the obstacles, better days are ahead."

NBA champion LeBron James, Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and Japan's Naomi Osaka were among five athletes honored Sunday by Sports Illustrated magazine for their off-field activism.

NBA champion LeBron James, Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and Japan's Naomi Osaka were among five athletes honored Sunday by Sports Illustrated magazine for their off-field activism. SI's annual Sportsperson of the Year was The Activist Athlete and paid tribute to off-field activities by James, Osaka, Mahomes and his NFL teammate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Women's NBA champion Breanna Stewart. The magazine cited "five men and women who in 2020 were champions in every sense of the word: champions on the field, champions for others off it." James sparked the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title, capturing the fourth of his career, and became the first three-time winner of the SI sportsperson award after 2012 and 2016, having previously matched the two Sportsperson awards given golfer Tiger Woods in 1996 and 2000. "With his efforts for racial justice, education reform and Black community empowerment as well as his voting rights campaign and varied charitable work, there is no doubt that he sets the standard for the modern socially conscious athlete," SI said of James, who was also awarded the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award for his career dedication to public service. James spoke out on police brutality, racial inequality and championed a voter registration program, More Than A Vote, that helped sign up more than 10,000 poll workers as well as register voters in combating voter suppression. Osaka won her third Grand Slam tennis title at this year's US Open. She took part in Black Lives Matter protests this year following the death of George Floyd and wore black masks during her US Open run, each with the name of an African-American killed by police. Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Mahomes sparked the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl crown, pushed the NFL to recognize the Black Lives Matter movement and backed the right of NFL players to conduct social protests. Duvernay-Tardif, the starting right offensive guard for the Chiefs but also a doctor, gave up his NFL uniform for doctor's protective personal equipment when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, joining the front line of a battle for people's lives. Stewart supported Black Lives Matter from the start of the Women's NBA bubble to the finish, when she helped the Seattle Storm claim a fourth title and winning WNBA Finals MVP honors after recovering from an Achilles injury. "If there is brightness in this dark year, it's the leadership -- and sorely needed optimism -- shown by some of our nation's top athletes in facing down our many challenges," SI wrote in announcing the winners. "The issues and challenges of 2020 will no doubt still be there in 2021 and beyond. But our Sportspersons of the Year set an example of how to face and one day fix them. With principle. With passion. And with an athlete's optimism -- the belief that no matter the obstacles, better days are ahead."

LeBron, Osaka, Mahomes among SI Sportspersons of the Year

French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who became the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles title, said that she is trying to adjust to her brand new celebrity status. On Saturday, the 19-year-old defeated American ace Sofia Kenin 6-4 6-1 to become the youngest Roland Garros winner since Monica Seles in 1992.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/goat-social-media-erupts-as-rafael-nadal-wins-his-20th-grand-slam-title-334539" hreflang="en">GOAT! Social media erupts as Rafael Nadal wins his 20th Grand Slam title</a>

While talking to BBC back in Poland, she said, "It’s pretty crazy here."

"I feel like my life changed completely and I’m trying to get used to that. I left a different Poland that I came back to, because right now I’m kind of popular here."

Swiatek described the turn of events in her life after winning the prestigious Roland Garros and said that she can always call on Japan’s three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka for support.

&nbsp;IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/french-open-2020-king-of-clay-rafael-nadals-20th-grand-slam-334707" hreflang="en">French Open 2020: 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal's 20th Grand Slam!</a>

"I’m doing pretty well, but if I’m going to have any problems, then Naomi texted me that I can always ask her for advice or for support," she added.

"We had a quick chat on social media right after the final. I feel like I am supported, so it is great."

Swiatek was the first Polish woman to reach the Roland Garros final in 81 years.&nbsp;

"Basically I was in shock for the next three days," Swiatek said, adding that she would love to have some influence on the growth of the sport in her country. "I couldn’t tell you my emotions, because even I don’t understand them.

"I always wanted to win all four Grand Slams and to have an Olympic medal, and I always thought of it as a dream. But right now, when I actually won French Open, it stopped like being so distant for me."

French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who became the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles title, said that she is trying to adjust to her brand new celebrity status.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who became the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles title, said that she is trying to adjust to her brand new celebrity status. On Saturday, the 19-year-old defeated American ace Sofia Kenin 6-4 6-1 to become the youngest Roland Garros winner since Monica Seles in 1992. Also read: GOAT! Social media erupts as Rafael Nadal wins his 20th Grand Slam title While talking to BBC back in Poland, she said, "It’s pretty crazy here." "I feel like my life changed completely and I’m trying to get used to that. I left a different Poland that I came back to, because right now I’m kind of popular here." Swiatek described the turn of events in her life after winning the prestigious Roland Garros and said that she can always call on Japan’s three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka for support. IN PICS| French Open 2020: 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal's 20th Grand Slam! "I’m doing pretty well, but if I’m going to have any problems, then Naomi texted me that I can always ask her for advice or for support," she added. "We had a quick chat on social media right after the final. I feel like I am supported, so it is great." Swiatek was the first Polish woman to reach the Roland Garros final in 81 years. "Basically I was in shock for the next three days," Swiatek said, adding that she would love to have some influence on the growth of the sport in her country. "I couldn’t tell you my emotions, because even I don’t understand them. "I always wanted to win all four Grand Slams and to have an Olympic medal, and I always thought of it as a dream. But right now, when I actually won French Open, it stopped like being so distant for me."

'It’s pretty crazy here', Iga Swiatek on her brand new celebrity status

Naomi Osaka, who captured her third Grand Slam title at the US Open on September 12, pulled out of the upcoming French Open with a hamstring injury on Thursday.

"Unfortunately I won't be able to play the French Open this year," Osaka said in posts on Instagram and Twitter. "My hamstring is still sore so I won't have enough time to prepare for the clay - these two tournaments came too close to each other for me this year."

The French Open is due to start on September 27 at Roland Garros, rescheduled from earlier in the year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Sunday, Osaka rallied from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the US Open women's final, adding a third major trophy after her victories at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open triumphs.

The 22-year-old was the first woman to win the US Open singles final from a set down since 1994, and the victory moved her to third in the WTA rankings.

She also became the first Asian player to win three Grand Slams, overtaking China's Li Na on two.

Osaka had gone into the US Open at Flushing Meadows with fitness concerns.

She pulled out of the WTA final of the Western &amp; Southern Open -- also held this year at Flushing Meadows -- with a left hamstring injury just two days before the start of the Grand Slam in New York.

She said she pulled the muscle in her semi-final victory.

Osaka played her US Open matches with her left thigh heavily strapped, but showed no sign the injury hindered her.

The US Open, normally the final Grand Slam in a season, was just the second major to be played in 2020 after the Australian Open in January.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought tennis to a halt along with the rest of global sport, with Wimbledon cancelled completely and Roland Garros moved from its usual May start to September 27-October 11.

Unlike the US Open, organizers at Roland Garros will admit fans, although it was announced Thursday that the number of spectators will be limited to 5,000 per day.

Organizers had originally hoped to accommodate 20,000 spectators per day.

Defending women's champion Ashleigh Barty of Australia announced earlier this month that she would not defend her title because she feared participation still carried health risks and because she had not been able to train properly with her coach because of the state border closures in Australia.

Naomi Osaka, who captured her third Grand Slam title at the US Open on September 12, pulled out of the upcoming French Open with a hamstring injury on Thursday. "Unfortunately I won't be able to play the French Open this year," Osaka said in posts on Instagram and Twitter.

Naomi Osaka, who captured her third Grand Slam title at the US Open on September 12, pulled out of the upcoming French Open with a hamstring injury on Thursday. "Unfortunately I won't be able to play the French Open this year," Osaka said in posts on Instagram and Twitter. "My hamstring is still sore so I won't have enough time to prepare for the clay - these two tournaments came too close to each other for me this year." The French Open is due to start on September 27 at Roland Garros, rescheduled from earlier in the year because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, Osaka rallied from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the US Open women's final, adding a third major trophy after her victories at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open triumphs. The 22-year-old was the first woman to win the US Open singles final from a set down since 1994, and the victory moved her to third in the WTA rankings. She also became the first Asian player to win three Grand Slams, overtaking China's Li Na on two. Osaka had gone into the US Open at Flushing Meadows with fitness concerns. She pulled out of the WTA final of the Western & Southern Open -- also held this year at Flushing Meadows -- with a left hamstring injury just two days before the start of the Grand Slam in New York. She said she pulled the muscle in her semi-final victory. Osaka played her US Open matches with her left thigh heavily strapped, but showed no sign the injury hindered her. The US Open, normally the final Grand Slam in a season, was just the second major to be played in 2020 after the Australian Open in January. The COVID-19 pandemic brought tennis to a halt along with the rest of global sport, with Wimbledon cancelled completely and Roland Garros moved from its usual May start to September 27-October 11. Unlike the US Open, organizers at Roland Garros will admit fans, although it was announced Thursday that the number of spectators will be limited to 5,000 per day. Organizers had originally hoped to accommodate 20,000 spectators per day. Defending women's champion Ashleigh Barty of Australia announced earlier this month that she would not defend her title because she feared participation still carried health risks and because she had not been able to train properly with her coach because of the state border closures in Australia.

US Open champion Osaka withdraws from French Open with injury

As US Open nears conclusion: Here are top five key moments of tournament!

Naomi Osaka ended Victoria Azarenka's dream run to claim her second US Open title in three years with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 comeback win on Saturday which cemented her status as the sport's leading light both on and off the court.

Unlike the 22-year-old Japanese's first US Open win in 2018 over Serena Williams, which was played in a frothing Arthur Ashe Stadium, Saturday's drama unfolded in a strangely quiet arena as COVID-19 health and safety protocols prevented fans from entering the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

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Naomi and an old friend 🏆🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@naomiosaka</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/tpUwSW8v7b">pic.twitter.com/tpUwSW8v7b</a>
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1304909110136119296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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But the lack of buzz around the stands did not stop the two former world number ones from producing a dazzling display of shot making.

As Osaka walked off with a third Grand Slam title, Azarenka was denied a US Open crown for a third time having also finished runner-up in 2012 and 2013.

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It takes a team 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@naomiosaka</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/cordae?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cordae</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/hxN6YMjEkp">pic.twitter.com/hxN6YMjEkp</a>
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1304909925164802048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Still it was a remarkable and unexpected run for the 31-year-old Belarusian, who reached her first major final in seven years.

It was the second time in two weeks Azarenka, twice a winner at the Australian Open, and Osaka had set up a final showdown. The pair had been set to meet in the Western and Southern Open final on Aug. 29 until Osaka withdrew due to a hamstring injury.

"I actually don't want to play you in more finals," Osaka told Azarenka with a smile during the victory ceremony.

"I didn't really enjoy that.

"That was a really tough match for me.

"And yes, really inspiring for me because I used to watch you play here when I was younger so just to have the opportunity to play you is really great and I learned a lot."

COVID-19 ERA

The presentation ceremony showed the precautions everyone has had to take during the COVID-19 era, with the two finalists having to pick up their respective prizes themselves from a table placed on court, while everyone stood socially distant for the obligatory photocall.

As she has done in every match over the past fortnight, Osaka appeared on court with her left thigh strapped and a facemask with the name of a Black American victim of police brutality or racial injustice.

For the final it was Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy shot by police in 2014 while playing with a toy gun in a playgound.

Osaka had already replaced Serena Williams as top earner and now has assumed the leadership mantle that goes with it.

With the United States rocked by unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, just three weeks ago by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Osaka had withdrawn from her semi-final at the Western and Southern Open in protest.

The men's and women's tour responded by postponing all the matches that were due to take place on the day of the protest by 24 hours and persuaded Osaka to contest the rescheduled match.

By taking the stand, the 22-year-old activist had made her point.

Azarenka, who ended Serena Williams bid for a record equalling 24th Grand Slam title in the semi-finals, carried that momentum into the final with a near flawless first set.

One of top returners in the women's game, an energized Azarenka broke the fourth seed to start the final and twice more in a lopsided opening set that took just 27 minutes.

If any spectators had been allowed in Arthur Ashe Stadium, they no doubt would have been left stunned by events as a rampaging Azarenka again broke Osaka at the first opportunity in the second to go 2-0 up.

But Osaka would not lose her composure.

After no aces in the opening set, Osaka, one of the game's top servers, slowly began to find her mark in the second. She hammered down five aces while helping herself to three breaks on way to levelling the match.

In the third it was Osaka applying all the early pressure on an increasingly rattled Azarenka. She took charge with a break to nudge in front 3-1.

Azarenka would show her fighting spirit with a break to get back on serve at 3-4 but Osaka would not be denied, immediately breaking back and holding serve to seal victory.

It marked the first time since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1994 that a player had dropped the first set of the women's final and fought back to win the title.

Naomi Osaka ended Victoria Azarenka's dream run to claim her second US Open title in three years with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 comeback win on Saturday which cemented her status as the sport's leading light both on and off the court.

Naomi Osaka ended Victoria Azarenka's dream run to claim her second US Open title in three years with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 comeback win on Saturday which cemented her status as the sport's leading light both on and off the court. Unlike the 22-year-old Japanese's first US Open win in 2018 over Serena Williams, which was played in a frothing Arthur Ashe Stadium, Saturday's drama unfolded in a strangely quiet arena as COVID-19 health and safety protocols prevented fans from entering the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Naomi and an old friend 🏆🥰@naomiosaka | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/tpUwSW8v7b — US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 12, 2020 × But the lack of buzz around the stands did not stop the two former world number ones from producing a dazzling display of shot making. As Osaka walked off with a third Grand Slam title, Azarenka was denied a US Open crown for a third time having also finished runner-up in 2012 and 2013. It takes a team 🙌@naomiosaka | @cordae | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/hxN6YMjEkp — US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 12, 2020 × Still it was a remarkable and unexpected run for the 31-year-old Belarusian, who reached her first major final in seven years. It was the second time in two weeks Azarenka, twice a winner at the Australian Open, and Osaka had set up a final showdown. The pair had been set to meet in the Western and Southern Open final on Aug. 29 until Osaka withdrew due to a hamstring injury. "I actually don't want to play you in more finals," Osaka told Azarenka with a smile during the victory ceremony. "I didn't really enjoy that. "That was a really tough match for me. "And yes, really inspiring for me because I used to watch you play here when I was younger so just to have the opportunity to play you is really great and I learned a lot." COVID-19 ERA The presentation ceremony showed the precautions everyone has had to take during the COVID-19 era, with the two finalists having to pick up their respective prizes themselves from a table placed on court, while everyone stood socially distant for the obligatory photocall. As she has done in every match over the past fortnight, Osaka appeared on court with her left thigh strapped and a facemask with the name of a Black American victim of police brutality or racial injustice. For the final it was Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy shot by police in 2014 while playing with a toy gun in a playgound. Osaka had already replaced Serena Williams as top earner and now has assumed the leadership mantle that goes with it. With the United States rocked by unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, just three weeks ago by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Osaka had withdrawn from her semi-final at the Western and Southern Open in protest. The men's and women's tour responded by postponing all the matches that were due to take place on the day of the protest by 24 hours and persuaded Osaka to contest the rescheduled match. By taking the stand, the 22-year-old activist had made her point. Azarenka, who ended Serena Williams bid for a record equalling 24th Grand Slam title in the semi-finals, carried that momentum into the final with a near flawless first set. One of top returners in the women's game, an energized Azarenka broke the fourth seed to start the final and twice more in a lopsided opening set that took just 27 minutes. If any spectators had been allowed in Arthur Ashe Stadium, they no doubt would have been left stunned by events as a rampaging Azarenka again broke Osaka at the first opportunity in the second to go 2-0 up. But Osaka would not lose her composure. After no aces in the opening set, Osaka, one of the game's top servers, slowly began to find her mark in the second. She hammered down five aces while helping herself to three breaks on way to levelling the match. In the third it was Osaka applying all the early pressure on an increasingly rattled Azarenka. She took charge with a break to nudge in front 3-1. Azarenka would show her fighting spirit with a break to get back on serve at 3-4 but Osaka would not be denied, immediately breaking back and holding serve to seal victory. It marked the first time since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1994 that a player had dropped the first set of the women's final and fought back to win the title.

US Open 2020: Naomi Osaka wins third career Grand Slam

Fourth seed Naomi Osaka defeated 28th seed Jennifer Brady in a high quality three-setter to reach the US Open final on Thursday, crediting her run to a carefree attitude post-lockdown.&nbsp;

The Japanese 2018 US Open champion overcame the 25-year-old American 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-3 in 2hr 8min under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Osaka, 22, will play either Serena Williams or Victoria Azarenka in Saturday's final.&nbsp;

"I just felt like I was sticking it out, it felt like we were trading serves," Osaka said of the semi-final tussle.

"I think I tried to adjust a little bit on her serve in the third set so maybe that helped," she added.

Brady, 25, had not dropped a set during her run to her first Grand Slam semi-final.&nbsp;

And the world number 41 went toe-to-toe with Osaka until the first set tie-break.&nbsp;

The players traded six held service games each before Osaka the world number nine took control of the tie-break.&nbsp;

At 2-1, Osaka won five points in a row, which included two unforced errors by Brady.

In set two the first seven games were held before Brady broke Osaka's serve to take a 5-3 lead.&nbsp;

She then successfully held to take the match to a deciding third set as the duo traded big serves with powerful forehand groundstrokes.

The breakthrough in the deciding set came game when Osaka broke Brady's serve in a fourth game that included a lucky net cord point for the Japanese.

Osaka then held her own to go 4-1 in front with the help of another net cord point.

Brady refused to go quietly though, forcing Osaka to hold twice to ensure the win and a second US Open final in three years.

"I kind of consider New York my second home. I really love the atmosphere," Osaka said.

"Even though sadly there's no people here, I really feel like this court really suits me well," she added.

Osaka has now won her last ten matches.

"I just felt like I wanted to come out of quarantine being positive and not really caring if I win or lose," she said.

Osaka, of Haitian and Japanese heritage, walked onto the court wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of Philando Castile, a black man who was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota in 2016.&nbsp;

The 2019 Australian Open champion is wearing different masks honoring victims of racial injustice and police brutality throughout the tournament.&nbsp;

She has already donned face coverings bearing the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.

Fourth seed Naomi Osaka defeated 28th seed Jennifer Brady in a high quality three-setter to reach the US Open final on Thursday, crediting her run to a carefree attitude post-lockdown.

Fourth seed Naomi Osaka defeated 28th seed Jennifer Brady in a high quality three-setter to reach the US Open final on Thursday, crediting her run to a carefree attitude post-lockdown. The Japanese 2018 US Open champion overcame the 25-year-old American 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-3 in 2hr 8min under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Osaka, 22, will play either Serena Williams or Victoria Azarenka in Saturday's final. "I just felt like I was sticking it out, it felt like we were trading serves," Osaka said of the semi-final tussle. "I think I tried to adjust a little bit on her serve in the third set so maybe that helped," she added. Brady, 25, had not dropped a set during her run to her first Grand Slam semi-final. And the world number 41 went toe-to-toe with Osaka until the first set tie-break. The players traded six held service games each before Osaka the world number nine took control of the tie-break. At 2-1, Osaka won five points in a row, which included two unforced errors by Brady. In set two the first seven games were held before Brady broke Osaka's serve to take a 5-3 lead. She then successfully held to take the match to a deciding third set as the duo traded big serves with powerful forehand groundstrokes. The breakthrough in the deciding set came game when Osaka broke Brady's serve in a fourth game that included a lucky net cord point for the Japanese. Osaka then held her own to go 4-1 in front with the help of another net cord point. Brady refused to go quietly though, forcing Osaka to hold twice to ensure the win and a second US Open final in three years. "I kind of consider New York my second home. I really love the atmosphere," Osaka said. "Even though sadly there's no people here, I really feel like this court really suits me well," she added. Osaka has now won her last ten matches. "I just felt like I wanted to come out of quarantine being positive and not really caring if I win or lose," she said. Osaka, of Haitian and Japanese heritage, walked onto the court wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of Philando Castile, a black man who was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota in 2016. The 2019 Australian Open champion is wearing different masks honoring victims of racial injustice and police brutality throughout the tournament. She has already donned face coverings bearing the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.

'Positive' Osaka beats Brady to reach US Open final

Ace Naomi Osaka pays tribute to black lives in a unique fashion!

Naomi Osaka sailed into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, demolishing Italy's Camila Giorgi in straight sets.

Japanese fourth seed Osaka needed only 1hr 9min to swat aside Giorgi, the world number 74, winning 6-1, 6-2.

Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion, will now play Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the last 32 on Friday.

Osaka said she had set out to dominate her hard-hitting Italian opponent from out outset.

"I never want to depend on what the other person's going to do," Osaka said.&nbsp;

"Even if I play a power player, for me, my goal is to be the dictator. I think that I was able to do that quite well. I think when she was hitting really hard, I was able to neutralize. When I had the chance, I went for the ball that I wanted.

"I definitely played I think the best out of the two weeks that I've been here today."

The 22-year-old Osaka had entered the tournament with concerns over her fitness after withdrawing from the final of the Western &amp; Southern Open last week.

Her weary body was given a thorough test in her first round match on Monday, when compatriot Misaki Doi took her to three sets.

However there was no sign of fatigue from Osaka on Wednesday as she romped to victory with tightly disciplined display.

In all, Osaka finished with 14 winners and only 11 unforced errors in the win.

Her powerful service game also looked in good order, with Osaka winning 79% of points on her first serve.

Osaka entered the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old African-American man who died in police custody last year after being placed in a chokehold and injected with a sedative.

"For me, I think when I heard about his story it was very hurtful," Osaka said of McClain. "I mean, they're all very hurtful, but just the fact of the character and the way that he was, just to hear stories about him, for me it was very sad. Today was very special in the way that I wanted to represent him very well."

Osaka, an activist against racism and police brutality, says she plans to wear different masks honoring victims of social injustice throughout the tournament.

Naomi Osaka sailed into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, demolishing Italy's Camila Giorgi in straight sets. Japanese fourth seed Osaka needed only 1hr 9min to swat aside Giorgi, the world number 74, winning 6-1, 6-2.

Naomi Osaka sailed into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, demolishing Italy's Camila Giorgi in straight sets. Japanese fourth seed Osaka needed only 1hr 9min to swat aside Giorgi, the world number 74, winning 6-1, 6-2. Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion, will now play Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the last 32 on Friday. Osaka said she had set out to dominate her hard-hitting Italian opponent from out outset. "I never want to depend on what the other person's going to do," Osaka said. "Even if I play a power player, for me, my goal is to be the dictator. I think that I was able to do that quite well. I think when she was hitting really hard, I was able to neutralize. When I had the chance, I went for the ball that I wanted. "I definitely played I think the best out of the two weeks that I've been here today." The 22-year-old Osaka had entered the tournament with concerns over her fitness after withdrawing from the final of the Western & Southern Open last week. Her weary body was given a thorough test in her first round match on Monday, when compatriot Misaki Doi took her to three sets. However there was no sign of fatigue from Osaka on Wednesday as she romped to victory with tightly disciplined display. In all, Osaka finished with 14 winners and only 11 unforced errors in the win. Her powerful service game also looked in good order, with Osaka winning 79% of points on her first serve. Osaka entered the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old African-American man who died in police custody last year after being placed in a chokehold and injected with a sedative. "For me, I think when I heard about his story it was very hurtful," Osaka said of McClain. "I mean, they're all very hurtful, but just the fact of the character and the way that he was, just to hear stories about him, for me it was very sad. Today was very special in the way that I wanted to represent him very well." Osaka, an activist against racism and police brutality, says she plans to wear different masks honoring victims of social injustice throughout the tournament.

Osaka sails into third round as Giorgi beaten

Before and after her first-round victory at the U.S. Open, Naomi Osaka wore a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot by police.

It's just one of seven face coverings, each in honor of a different person, that Osaka brought to Flushing Meadows &nbsp;the same number of wins it takes to claim a Grand Slam trophy. The world's highest-earning female athlete hopes she can get the chance to raise awareness about racial injustice by using each mask during her stay in New York.

It's quite sad that seven masks isn't enough for the amount of names, so hopefully I'll get to the finals so you can see all of them,&nbsp;said Osaka, the champion at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open.

She overcame some uneven play late Monday night to beat 81st-ranked Misaki Doi 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in an all-Japanese matchup in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The No. 4-seeded Osaka's movement was an issue at times; she is coming off a left hamstring injury that forced her to withdraw from the final of the Western &amp; Southern Open on Saturday.

It was during that tournament last week that Osaka took a public stand by saying she would refuse to play her semifinal, joining athletes in various other sports who walked out to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a police officer in Wisconsin.

Osaka's move prompted tournament organizers to halt action entirely for a day. When play resumed, Osaka agreed to compete, after all, because the day off for the Western &amp; Southern Open brought additional attention to the issue.

Osaka walked out on court for her match Monday night with a black mask and white lettering with the name of Taylor, a 26-year-old who was fatally shot when police officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation in March.

Osaka put the mask back on for her postmatch interview.

Against Doi, Osaka wound up with 38 unforced errors, 13 more than her winners total. But after a forehand into the net gave the second set to Doi, Osaka quickly went ahead in the third by breaking in the opening game.

Doi never has been past the fourth round at any Grand Slam tournament. She is now 1-8 for her career at the U.S. Open and 0-18 against opponents ranked in the top 10.

Osaka is now 34-1 in Grand Slam matches when taking the first set; the only loss came against Simona Halep at the 2016 French Open. 
Next up for her is a match against Camila Giorgi of Italy.

She's very unpredictable for me,&nbsp;Osaka said, so I guess I just have to be on my toes.

Before and after her first-round victory at the U.S. Open, Naomi Osaka wore a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot by police.

Before and after her first-round victory at the U.S. Open, Naomi Osaka wore a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot by police. It's just one of seven face coverings, each in honor of a different person, that Osaka brought to Flushing Meadows the same number of wins it takes to claim a Grand Slam trophy. The world's highest-earning female athlete hopes she can get the chance to raise awareness about racial injustice by using each mask during her stay in New York. It's quite sad that seven masks isn't enough for the amount of names, so hopefully I'll get to the finals so you can see all of them, said Osaka, the champion at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open. She overcame some uneven play late Monday night to beat 81st-ranked Misaki Doi 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in an all-Japanese matchup in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium. The No. 4-seeded Osaka's movement was an issue at times; she is coming off a left hamstring injury that forced her to withdraw from the final of the Western & Southern Open on Saturday. It was during that tournament last week that Osaka took a public stand by saying she would refuse to play her semifinal, joining athletes in various other sports who walked out to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a police officer in Wisconsin. Osaka's move prompted tournament organizers to halt action entirely for a day. When play resumed, Osaka agreed to compete, after all, because the day off for the Western & Southern Open brought additional attention to the issue. Osaka walked out on court for her match Monday night with a black mask and white lettering with the name of Taylor, a 26-year-old who was fatally shot when police officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation in March. Osaka put the mask back on for her postmatch interview. Against Doi, Osaka wound up with 38 unforced errors, 13 more than her winners total. But after a forehand into the net gave the second set to Doi, Osaka quickly went ahead in the third by breaking in the opening game. Doi never has been past the fourth round at any Grand Slam tournament. She is now 1-8 for her career at the U.S. Open and 0-18 against opponents ranked in the top 10. Osaka is now 34-1 in Grand Slam matches when taking the first set; the only loss came against Simona Halep at the 2016 French Open. Next up for her is a match against Camila Giorgi of Italy. She's very unpredictable for me, Osaka said, so I guess I just have to be on my toes.

Tennis ace Naomi Osaka wears mask in memory of Breonna Taylor at US Open

Japan's Naomi Osaka reversed her decision to withdraw from the WTA Western &amp; Southern Open semi-finals on Thursday, saying she will now play the match that has been rearranged for Friday.

The two-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement on Wednesday that she had pulled out of her last-four clash with Belgium's Elise Mertens in protest at the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.

However, after WTA and ATP chiefs announced a suspension of play at the tournament following anger over Blake's shooting, Osaka said she has now changed her mind.&nbsp;

"As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence," Osaka said in a statement first reported by Britain's The Guardian and The New York Times.

"I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent.

"However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday.

"They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement.&nbsp;

"I want to thank the WTA and the tournament for their support."

In her statement on Wednesday, Osaka had said she was not ready to play tennis following the Blake shooting.

"Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis," Osaka said.

"I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction."

Her move camed after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their NBA playoff game over the shooting, forcing the league to halt Wednesday's schedule of postseason fixtures.

Japan's Naomi Osaka reversed her decision to withdraw from the WTA Western & Southern Open semi-finals on Thursday, saying she will now play the match that has been rearranged for Friday.

Japan's Naomi Osaka reversed her decision to withdraw from the WTA Western & Southern Open semi-finals on Thursday, saying she will now play the match that has been rearranged for Friday. The two-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement on Wednesday that she had pulled out of her last-four clash with Belgium's Elise Mertens in protest at the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. However, after WTA and ATP chiefs announced a suspension of play at the tournament following anger over Blake's shooting, Osaka said she has now changed her mind. "As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence," Osaka said in a statement first reported by Britain's The Guardian and The New York Times. "I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent. "However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. "They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. "I want to thank the WTA and the tournament for their support." In her statement on Wednesday, Osaka had said she was not ready to play tennis following the Blake shooting. "Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis," Osaka said. "I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction." Her move camed after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their NBA playoff game over the shooting, forcing the league to halt Wednesday's schedule of postseason fixtures.

Osaka reverses course, will play WTA semi-final

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Tarrant, 29, had live-streamed the event while killing at least 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch.

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US Vice-President Mike Pence speaking at the Republican National Convention said America needs four more years of Donald Trump at the White House.

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<img alt="Osaka" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dfcbe745-34d1-4018-9a87-9826ba29e016" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Osaka1.jpg" />

Naomi Osaka said "genocide of black people at the hands of the police is honesty making me sick to my stomach."

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Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant sentenced to life without parole Tarrant, 29, had live-streamed the event while killing at least 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch.

Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant sentenced to life without parole Tarrant, 29, had live-streamed the event while killing at least 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch. History records Biden opposed operation against Osama Bin Laden, says US Vice President Mike Pence US Vice-President Mike Pence speaking at the Republican National Convention said America needs four more years of Donald Trump at the White House. US targets Chinese individuals, companies over South China Sea work The US government targeted the China Communications Construction Company, including a shipbuilding group and telecom firms amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdraws from WTA semi-final over Jacob Blake's shooting in US Naomi Osaka said "genocide of black people at the hands of the police is honesty making me sick to my stomach." Watch: Gravitas - Are Greece and Turkey on a war path?

Morning news brief: Christchurch mosque attacker sentenced, Pence attacks Biden at Republican National Convention & more

Amid violence in Wisconsin over Jacob Balke's shooting by US policemen, tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from WTA Western &amp; Southern Open semi-final match on Thursday in New York&nbsp;declaring that "genocide of black people at the hands of the police is honesty making me sick to my stomach."

Watch:

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"I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction," the former world no-1 said in a tweet, adding, "as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis."

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"Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman," she added. "I'm exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days and I'm extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again," she said.

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"When will it be enough? the Japanese tennis sensation asked.

Osaka's pullout from the WTA tournament comes as two people were shot dead during anti-government protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin and a teenager was arrested in the wake of African-American Jacob Blake's shooting by US policemen.

Jacob Blake's shooting was caught on video with the police repeatedly shooting at him. Blake's lawyers said Blake, 29, has shattered his spine and his stomach, colon, liver and an arm have been damaged.

"It is going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr to ever walk again," Blake's lawyer civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump had said.

Amid violence in Wisconsin over Jacob Balke's shooting by US policemen, tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from WTA Western & Southern Open semi-final match on Thursday in New York declaring that "genocide of black people at the hands of the police is honesty making me sick to my stomach.

Amid violence in Wisconsin over Jacob Balke's shooting by US policemen, tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from WTA Western & Southern Open semi-final match on Thursday in New York declaring that "genocide of black people at the hands of the police is honesty making me sick to my stomach." Watch: "I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction," the former world no-1 said in a tweet, adding, "as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis." ALSO READ: NBA postpones games after Bucks boycott, other sports follow suit pic.twitter.com/miKzgSdGxY — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 27, 2020 × "Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman," she added. "I'm exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days and I'm extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again," she said. Also Read: Jacob Blake shooting - Trump to send troops as protests rage in Wisconsin "When will it be enough? the Japanese tennis sensation asked. Osaka's pullout from the WTA tournament comes as two people were shot dead during anti-government protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin and a teenager was arrested in the wake of African-American Jacob Blake's shooting by US policemen. Jacob Blake's shooting was caught on video with the police repeatedly shooting at him. Blake's lawyers said Blake, 29, has shattered his spine and his stomach, colon, liver and an arm have been damaged. "It is going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr to ever walk again," Blake's lawyer civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump had said.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdraws from WTA semi-final over Jacob Blake's shooting in US

Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan battled back to beat Karolina Muchova 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2 on Monday and reach the third round of the Western &amp; Southern Open.

Osaka, ranked 10th in the world, was playing her first match since the WTA resumed after a coronavirus hiatus.

The tournament was moved this year from Cincinnati to the National Tennis Center in New York to allow players to enter the same quarantine bubble that will be in effect for the US Open starting on August 31.

Osaka will face another tough challenge in the third round against 16th-seeded Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who beat American Bernarda Pera 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 on Monday after downing seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round.

Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan battled back to beat Karolina Muchova 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2 on Monday and reach the third round of the Western & Southern Open. Osaka, ranked 10th in the world, was playing her first match since the WTA resumed after a coronavirus hiatus.

Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan battled back to beat Karolina Muchova 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2 on Monday and reach the third round of the Western & Southern Open. Osaka, ranked 10th in the world, was playing her first match since the WTA resumed after a coronavirus hiatus. The tournament was moved this year from Cincinnati to the National Tennis Center in New York to allow players to enter the same quarantine bubble that will be in effect for the US Open starting on August 31. Osaka will face another tough challenge in the third round against 16th-seeded Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who beat American Bernarda Pera 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 on Monday after downing seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round.

Osaka rallies to reach third round of 'Cincy in New York'

Naomi Osaka has received some mean comments from social media users after the ace tennis star shared some of her photographs wearing a swimsuit. Osaka, who is the world’s highest paid female athlete, has tremendous fan following on social media and has over the years received immense love from her fans. However, things turned ugly when people asked her to maintain “innocent image” after she posted some of her pictures in a swimsuit.&nbsp;

Osaka took to social media platform Twitter to express her displeasure over some of the comments as the Japanese tennis star said that why do people thing they have the right to comment on what she can wear in what was a strong-worded tweet.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/totally-my-fault-lewis-hamilton-denies-hes-anti-vaccine-following-instagram-story-backlash-316316" hreflang="en">'Totally my fault...' - Lewis Hamilton denies he’s anti-vaccine following Instagram story backlash</a>

"I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting @ me to maintain my “innocent image” and “don’t try to be someone your not”. You don’t know me, I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool. Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear?" wrote Osaka who is currently ranked 10th in the world.

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I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting @ me to maintain my “innocent image” and “don’t try to be someone your not”. You don’t know me, I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool. Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear?
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) <a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1287424889855467520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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As per a Forbes report in May, Osaka surpassed tennis legend Serena Williams to bag an annual earning of $34.4 million to become the highest paid female athlete in the world. The two-time Grand Slam winner also reportedly earned $1.4 million more in prize money and endorsement than Williams in the last 12 months.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-opens-empty-olympics-venues-up-for-public-use-316272" hreflang="en">Tokyo opens empty Olympics venues up for public use</a>

Not only that, Osaka also broke the record for most money earned in a single year by a female athlete, shattering the record held by retired tennis star Maria Sharapova, who had earned a whopping $29.7 million in 2015.

Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, ranks No. 29 on the 2020 Forbes list of the world’s 100 top-paid athletes while Williams is No. 33.

Naomi Osaka has received some mean comments from social media users after the ace tennis star shared some of her photographs wearing a swimsuit. Osaka, who is the world’s highest paid female athlete, has tremendous fan following on social media and has over the years received immense love from her fans.

Naomi Osaka has received some mean comments from social media users after the ace tennis star shared some of her photographs wearing a swimsuit. Osaka, who is the world’s highest paid female athlete, has tremendous fan following on social media and has over the years received immense love from her fans. However, things turned ugly when people asked her to maintain “innocent image” after she posted some of her pictures in a swimsuit. Osaka took to social media platform Twitter to express her displeasure over some of the comments as the Japanese tennis star said that why do people thing they have the right to comment on what she can wear in what was a strong-worded tweet. ALSO READ: 'Totally my fault...' - Lewis Hamilton denies he’s anti-vaccine following Instagram story backlash "I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting @ me to maintain my “innocent image” and “don’t try to be someone your not”. You don’t know me, I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool. Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear?" wrote Osaka who is currently ranked 10th in the world. I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting @ me to maintain my “innocent image” and “don’t try to be someone your not”. You don’t know me, I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool. Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear? — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 26, 2020 × As per a Forbes report in May, Osaka surpassed tennis legend Serena Williams to bag an annual earning of $34.4 million to become the highest paid female athlete in the world. The two-time Grand Slam winner also reportedly earned $1.4 million more in prize money and endorsement than Williams in the last 12 months. ALSO READ: Tokyo opens empty Olympics venues up for public use Not only that, Osaka also broke the record for most money earned in a single year by a female athlete, shattering the record held by retired tennis star Maria Sharapova, who had earned a whopping $29.7 million in 2015. Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, ranks No. 29 on the 2020 Forbes list of the world’s 100 top-paid athletes while Williams is No. 33.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka upset on criticism over swimsuit photographs, says 'it's creeping me out'

Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are set to meet in the Grand Slam for the second time in a row. Last time, Gauff was beaten by Osaka in the US Open 2019 by straight sets 6-3, 6-0.&nbsp;

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/racquet-kicking-osaka-admits-she-was-a-bit-childish-275957">Australian Open: After kicking racket, Osaka admits she was 'a bit childish'</a>

The match in US Open was later headlined by the consolation given by Osaka to Gauff after she beat her in the third round.

Australian Open debutant Gauff is looking forward to the re-match against the defending champion Osaka.&nbsp;

Coco Gauff defeated former World No 1, Venus Williams, in the first round in straight sets. She came back from behind in the second round, after losing the first set to Sorona Cirstea, the 15-year-old American managed to secure the next two sets to proceed to the next round. The scoreline in the second round as 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Whereas Naomi Osaka, despite her childish tantrum in the second round, found it easy to till now to reach the third round.&nbsp;

She beat Marie Bouzková and Zheng Saisai in first and second round respectively in straight sets.&nbsp;

World No 3 Naomi Osaka will look forward to securing a second consecutive Australian Open Title. Whereas, the debutant Coco Gauff is playing her third Grand Slam, will eye a maiden Grand Slam win.&nbsp;

The match will take place on Friday.&nbsp;

Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are set to meet in the Grand Slam for the second time in a row. Last time, Gauff was beaten by Osaka in the US Open 2019 by straight sets 6-3, 6-0.

Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are set to meet in the Grand Slam for the second time in a row. Last time, Gauff was beaten by Osaka in the US Open 2019 by straight sets 6-3, 6-0. Also read- Australian Open: After kicking racket, Osaka admits she was 'a bit childish' The match in US Open was later headlined by the consolation given by Osaka to Gauff after she beat her in the third round. Australian Open debutant Gauff is looking forward to the re-match against the defending champion Osaka. Coco Gauff defeated former World No 1, Venus Williams, in the first round in straight sets. She came back from behind in the second round, after losing the first set to Sorona Cirstea, the 15-year-old American managed to secure the next two sets to proceed to the next round. The scoreline in the second round as 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Whereas Naomi Osaka, despite her childish tantrum in the second round, found it easy to till now to reach the third round. She beat Marie Bouzková and Zheng Saisai in first and second round respectively in straight sets. World No 3 Naomi Osaka will look forward to securing a second consecutive Australian Open Title. Whereas, the debutant Coco Gauff is playing her third Grand Slam, will eye a maiden Grand Slam win. The match will take place on Friday.

Australian Open: Defending champion Osaka set to face 15-year-old Gauff

Title-holder Naomi Osaka was stunned by 15-year-old Salm debutant and American Coco Gauff. Gauff is having a dream run in the tournament after beating the mighty Venus Williams in the first round, she now has beaten World No &nbsp;3 Naomi Osaka in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.&nbsp;

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Gracious in defeat 🇯🇵<a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@naomiosaka</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/lJLQmJK6M5">pic.twitter.com/lJLQmJK6M5</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1220643414422802432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Coco in a way avenged her massive defeat she faced against Osaka last year, the Japanese tennis ace previously thrashed the American in the US Open in 2019.&nbsp;

Gauff was in complete disbelief as she beat Naomi Osaka. "I'm on Rod Laver Arena, I can't believe this."

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> still has time for the fans after her massive win<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/wyrB71TAP7">pic.twitter.com/wyrB71TAP7</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1220643119735234562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Gauff was shocked by her achievement, saying: "Two years ago I lost the first round in juniors, and now I'm here. This is crazy."

Gauff told the reporter in the post-match press conference about her mantra "I was just telling myself one point at a time and keep fighting because you never know what happens on this court."

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📚 15 year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a>'s teachers are giving her an extension on some assignments "considering the circumstances." 
 
We're grateful for the flexibility too! 🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/tVpWCtqygA">pic.twitter.com/tVpWCtqygA</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1220642332946653185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Naomi Osaka congratulated young Gauff by hugging her. She was disappointed with her form in the match today.&nbsp;

"I don't really have the champion mentality yet, which is someone that can deal with not playing 100 per cent (but still win)," said Osaka.

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⭐⭐⭐ 
 
The moment when rising star <a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> clinched match point against 2019 champion Naomi Osaka.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2020</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Channel9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@channel9</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> <a href="https://t.co/zVDOlvNEl8">pic.twitter.com/zVDOlvNEl8</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1220638875623792640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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She was disappointed in losing to a fifteen-year-old, "You don't want to lose to a 15-year-old,".

Title-holder Naomi Osaka was stunned by 15-year-old Salm debutant and American Coco Gauff. Gauff is having a dream run in the tournament after beating the mighty Venus Williams in the first round, she now has beaten World No 3 Naomi Osaka in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Title-holder Naomi Osaka was stunned by 15-year-old Salm debutant and American Coco Gauff. Gauff is having a dream run in the tournament after beating the mighty Venus Williams in the first round, she now has beaten World No 3 Naomi Osaka in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. Gracious in defeat 🇯🇵@naomiosaka | #AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/lJLQmJK6M5 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2020 × Coco in a way avenged her massive defeat she faced against Osaka last year, the Japanese tennis ace previously thrashed the American in the US Open in 2019. Gauff was in complete disbelief as she beat Naomi Osaka. "I'm on Rod Laver Arena, I can't believe this." .@CocoGauff still has time for the fans after her massive win#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wyrB71TAP7 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2020 × Gauff was shocked by her achievement, saying: "Two years ago I lost the first round in juniors, and now I'm here. This is crazy." Gauff told the reporter in the post-match press conference about her mantra "I was just telling myself one point at a time and keep fighting because you never know what happens on this court." 📚 15 year-old @CocoGauff's teachers are giving her an extension on some assignments "considering the circumstances." We're grateful for the flexibility too! 🙏#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/tVpWCtqygA — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2020 × Naomi Osaka congratulated young Gauff by hugging her. She was disappointed with her form in the match today. "I don't really have the champion mentality yet, which is someone that can deal with not playing 100 per cent (but still win)," said Osaka. ⭐⭐⭐ The moment when rising star @CocoGauff clinched match point against 2019 champion Naomi Osaka.#AO2020 | #AusOpen | @channel9 | @espn pic.twitter.com/zVDOlvNEl8 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2020 × She was disappointed in losing to a fifteen-year-old, "You don't want to lose to a 15-year-old,".

Australian Open shocker: Defending champion Naomi Osaka knocked out by Coco Gauff

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