Naomi Osaka says a belief “people don’t remember the runners-up” will fuel her bid for a fourth major title when she faces American Jennifer Brady in Saturday’s Australian Open final.
The 23-year-old Japanese player has won three Grand Slam titles and never lost a major final.
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“The winner’s name is the one that’s engraved,” said third seed Osaka.
“I think I fight the hardest in the finals. I think that’s where you sort of set yourself apart. The other person has won as many matches as you did. It’s the biggest fight.”
Osaka, whose major wins have come at the 2018 US Open, 2019 Australian Open and 2020 US Open, goes into the match as the heavy favourite against 25-year-old Brady.
It is a rematch of their high-quality semi-final in New York, which was widely considered as the best WTA match of 2020.
3-0 in Grand Slam finals.
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Brady had never gone past the fourth round at a Grand Slam before reaching the last four at Flushing Meadows and says she will have to keep her emotions in check in the Melbourne final.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feel. I can say I can enjoy the moment and just try to play tennis and not really think too much about it,” she said.
“But there are going to be moments where I’m going to be thinking ‘wow, this could be my first Grand Slam title’.”
