Naomi Osaka recently became the champion of the Australian Open 2021. The Japanese star defeated Jennifer Brady in the finals of the Grand Slam and won her 4th major.
With this, she has also managed to go higher in the WTA rankings. Interestingly, there is also positive news for Serena Williams who lost to Osaka in the semis of the tournament.
The WTA rankings are out after the Australian Open 2021, and there is a new entry on the list. The 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams broke into the Top-10 players after her phenomenal performance at the Grand Slam.
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She ended at the 11th position last year but climbed four spots in the recent rankings. She is now at the 7th position.
Although Naomi Osaka thrashed Williams in the semis, Serena played some exceptional and aggressive tennis overall in Melbourne.
She ended the winning-streak of Aryna Sabalenka and also defeated 2-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep in the quarters.
It is this brilliant gameplay that helped Williams get back on the list of Top-10 players. Behind her are Aryna Sabalenka, Bianca Andreescu, and Petra Kvitova at the 8th, 9th, and 10th positions respectively.
READ MORE- Serena Williams’ unprecedented streak as World No.1
Naomi Osaka climbs along with Serena Williams and is the new World No.2 player
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With her win at the Australian Open 2021, Osaka has replaced Simona Halep as the World No.2 player. Halep is now at the third position in the rankings after losing to Serena at the Grand Slam.
Although Ashleigh Barty failed to reach the semis of the tournament, she is still ahead of Osaka and is the World No.1 player. The fourth, fifth, and sixth positions remain unchanged, and Sofia Kenin, Elina Svitolina, and Karolina Pliskova still occupy those places.
While the new rankings bring joy and happiness to some players, they are also a sign of worry for some other players. Whatever be the case, the rankings surely prove that Serena Williams is not over yet and still has a lot of tennis left in her. Will Serena be able to win her 24th Grand Slam title in 2021?
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