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MELBOURNE, Australia — Naomi Osaka defeated Petra Kvitova, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4, on Saturday to win the Australian Open and attain the No. 1 ranking in women’s tennis.
It was the second consecutive major title for the fourth-seeded Osaka, 21, who defeated Serena Williams in straight sets at the United States Open in September. The last woman to win back-to-back Grand Slam singles titles was Williams, who claimed the first three majors in 2015.
Osaka — born in Japan and raised in the U.S. by a Japanese mother and a Haitian father — is the first player representing Japan to be No.