MELBOURNE, Australia - As Naomi Osaka strode through the Champions Walk leading to the court for her Australian Open final Saturday night - headphones on, racket bag strapped to her back - she reached out her left hand to tap a panel marked with her name and the year of her previous title there.
Not a big deal, she explained. Just a bit of superstition. Less than 10 minutes later, she began the match against Jennifer Brady. And less than 1 1/2 hours later, Osaka won the last point, because that's what she does when the stakes are the greatest on her sport's biggest stages.
Osaka improved to 4-0 in Grand Slam finals by grabbing six consecutive games to pull away in what initially was a tight contest, beating Brady 6-4, 6-3 at Melbourne Park.
"You don't go into a final wanting to be the runner-up. For me, I feel like every opportunity that I play a Slam is an opportunity to win a Slam," said the third-seeded Osaka, who will move up to No. 2 in the WTA rankings. "So I think maybe I put that pressure on myself too much, but honestly, it's working out in my favor right now."
Sure is. With serves that reached 122 mph and produced six aces, as well as returns that helped create six breaks, the 23-year-old from Japan became the first woman to win her first four major finals since American star Monica Seles did it 30 years ago. That is part of Osaka's 12-0 record in quarterfinals, semifinals and finals at the majors.
"She plays so aggressive that she puts so much pressure on you to perform well," said Brady, a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania who played college tennis at UCLA and was in a major final for the first time. "And that's something that not every tennis player has that ability to do."
Osaka, the AP's female athlete of the year in 2020, is also on a 21-match winning streak that dates to last season and includes her title run at last year's U.S. Open. She also won the U.S. Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019.
"What I have learned on and off the court is it's OK to not be sure about yourself. For me, I feel like I've always forced myself to, like, be strong or whatever. I think if you're not feeling OK, it's OK to not feel OK," Osaka said. "But you have to sort of go within yourself and figure things out in a way."
Osaka was born to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, and she moved to the United States with her family when she was 3. She has been a vocal advocate for Black victims of racism and police violence, saying she would refuse to play a match at one tournament last year to spotlight the issue.
"She's such an inspiration to us all, and what she's doing for the game is amazing in getting the sport out there," said Brady, who was seeded 22nd. "I hope young girls at home are watching and inspired by what she's doing."
AP photo by Mark Dadswell / Naomi Osaka, right, and Jennifer Brady hold their trophies after Osaka beat Brady 6-4, 6-3 in the Australian Open women's singles final Saturday at Melbourne Park.Brady was one of 72 players who needed to go into hard lockdown for at least two weeks after they were on a chartered flight with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival in Australia. For 15 days, she couldn't leave her room for any reason at all, so there was a lot of FaceTiming with friends, ordering in food and hitting tennis balls against a bed mattress.
She was the only singles player in that group who made it to the second week of the tournament and thought perhaps the break from routine did her some good, allowing her to rest physically and mentally. Saturday night's outcome gave her some second thoughts about that theory.
"I mean, I made my first Grand Slam final. So maybe if I wasn't in quarantine, I would have won. Maybe," she said with a smile. "Yeah, I don't think it really hampered me much. Who knows? You know, you really don't know."
Playing Osaka represented a big step up in competition during this tournament for Brady, who had not faced anyone ranked in the top 25 nor anyone who previously appeared in so much as one Grand Slam semifinal. Her only previous final four appearance at a major came at the U.S. Open last September, when she lost to Osaka in three sets.
She wasn't able to push the champ as much this time on an evening that was breezy and cooler than it's been lately, with the temperature below 70. The attendance was announced at 7,381; spectators were allowed back after being barred earlier in the tournament during a COVID-19 lockdown.
"I didn't play my last Grand Slam with fans," Osaka said, "so just to have this energy, it really means a lot."
The final turned at 4-all, when Brady used an on-the-run lob winner she punctuated by waving her arms to request more noise from the crowd. That earned a break point - convert that, and she would serve for the opening set. Osaka erased the chance with a cross-court forehand winner, and two errors by Brady made it 5-4. Osaka then broke to grab the set, helped by Brady's double-fault and a netted forehand on a short ball to end it.
"Happens maybe one in 10 times," Brady said of that mistake, "or hopefully less."
That was part of the run that put Osaka ahead 4-0 in the second set, and she was on her way.
Now only two active women own more major singles titles: Serena Williams, with 23, and her sister, Venus, with seven. Osaka beat Serena - a player she calls her idol - in the semifinals Thursday. And as much as Osaka makes plain that she wants to keep adding to her Grand Slam collection, there are larger goals, too.
"This is going to sound really odd, but hopefully I play long enough to play a girl that said that I was once her favorite player or something," said Osaka, who signed autographs for fans after her victory. "For me, I think that's the coolest thing that could ever happen to me. ... That's how the sport moves forward."
Brady is moving forward, too, with her time in Australia having proved challenging, rewarding and motivating.
"I belong at this level. I think winning a Grand Slam is totally achievable. It's within reach," said Brady, who will rise from No. 24 to No. 13 in the WTA rankings. "Playing out there, obviously, I was nervous. Didn't go my way. But at the same time, coming off court, I was like, 'OK, that feels a little bit normal.' It felt different than what I was expecting it to feel like. If you were to ask me maybe a year ago, I wouldn't think it's possible - or it would feel like it's like going to Mars."
Osaka will be keeping an eye on Brady's trajectory, too.
"I told everyone that would listen that you're going to be a problem - and I was right," Osaka told Brady during Saturday's trophy ceremony with a chuckle, after asking her whether she prefers to be called Jenny or Jennifer. "To see your growth over the past few months is really cool for me to see."