MELBOURNE — Naomi Osaka has won the Australian Open for her second consecutive Grand Slam title by beating Petra Kvitova 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4 in the final.
The 21-year-old Osaka also becomes the first tennis player from Japan to reach No. 1 in the rankings.
Osaka held three match points at 5-3 in the second set but couldn't close it out. She allowed Kvitova to come back and win 23 of 27 points to take that set and go up 1-0 in the third.
But Osaka regained her composure and her big-shot ability down the stretch, breaking to lead 2-1 with a cross-court backhand winner and holding on the rest of the way.