Naomi Osaka came back to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in Saturday's US Open final in New York to win her third Grand Slam title. She got it by beating a rejuvenated Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 -- after trailing by a set and nearly 3-0 -- but leaves New York as much more than just a fabulous tennis player.As in her six previous matches at this US Open, Osaka wore a mask Saturday entering the court bearing the name of a Black person killed in an incident involving police.
Her second US Open crown was a moment that deserved to be celebrated with fans but none were around on Arthur Ashe Stadium, understandably, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Moments later, Osaka lay down on the court and once again looked up above. The 31-year-old former No. 1 has said that she thought about leaving tennis after enduring a custody battle and dealing with injuries.
"I could continue to stay on my high horse or I could just change it and learn from that," said Azarenka on Thursday. She was bidding to become the first mom to win a major since Kim Clijsters in 2011.