Naomi Osaka defeated Jennifer Brady in straight sets to win the 2021 Australian Open, her fourth Grand Slam title victory.

The 23-year-old defeated Brady 6-4, 6-3 to be crowned champion.

She described the opportunity to be able to play a grand slam tournament during a pandemic as a privilege after her triumph in Melbourne.

The win is her second Australian Open title, with her first being in 2019 where she defeated Serena Williams.

Over 7,000 fans were able to attend the event, and she was grateful for them at Rod Laver Arena.

“It feels really incredible to me. I didn’t play my last grand slam with fans, so just to have this energy, it really means a lot,” Osaka said after her win.

“Thank you for opening your hearts and your arms towards us. For sure, I feel like playing a grand slam right now is a privilege, and it is something I won’t take for granted, so thank you for this opportunity.”

Osaka also paid tribute to Brady:

“We played in the US Open semi-finals a couple of months ago and I told anyone who would listen that you were going to be a problem and I was right,” she said.

“For me, it is hard to play you, and to see your growth over the past few months is really cool for me to see.

“I for sure know that everyone, your friends and your family, are definitely very proud. I think we are going to play a lot more matches, so here’s to that.”

The prize for winning this year’s championship was $2.75 million, while Brady took home $1.5 million for being the runner-up.

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