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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 24: Naomi Osaka of Japan speaks to media following her Women’s Singles third round defeat to Coco Gauff of the United States of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 24: Naomi Osaka of Japan speaks to media following her Women’s Singles third round defeat to Coco Gauff of the United States of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Naomi Osaka rounded off the 2020 season with her second US Open title and ranked third in the WTA year-end standings, trailing Australian Ash Barty at Number 1 and Romanian Simona Halep at 2.
While she didn’t finish the season as the top-ranked player on the women’s Tour, the Japanese did enough to hog the spotlight in 2020.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) December 18, 2020
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She was named the top-earning female athlete by Forbes magazine, raking in more than $37 million in prize money and endorsements, the highest ever in a calendar year.
Her earnings this year put former Russian tennis diva Maria Sharapova and American stalwart Serena Williams in the shadows.
When Osaka made a powerful statement through fashion
Also making headlines with her fashion for a cause, Osaka sported unique face masks at the Flushing Meadows inscribed with messages of support for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
The amount of confusion I had when I opened Tidal and saw my face this morning 💀 https://t.co/T4gkpD35yd
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) December 3, 2020
A champion on court and an advocate for fairness and justice of it, the Japanese also made a pertinent noise in matters beyond tennis.
However, coming back to her tennis, the three-time Grand Slam winner gave a hint of how she intends to dominate the women’s circuit in the new season with her title-winning run at the US Open.
Naomi Osaka would want to start new season with Grand Slam win
As the new season arrives, Osaka will be determined to rise from the disappointment of not being able to defend her 2019 Australian Open title this year and land her second championship trophy at the imposing Rod Laver Arena.
This year she made the third round of Australian Open before losing to rising American teen Coco Gauff.
via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates winning match point during her Women’s Singles final match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on Day Thirteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Read More: “Level 50 of Tennis”: Naomi Osaka Wishes to Balance Out Her Life With Professional Tennis
With comfortable wins over Czech Marie Bouzkova and Zheng Saisai of China, Osaka had raised visions of a second straight win at the Rod Laver Arena. However, it all came apart in the showdown against the American.
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More than the third-round exit, the manner of defeat will rankle as the Japanese went down in straight sets.
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Come the new season, Osaka would look to atone for her 2020 miss and start the new season with another Grand Slam win.
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