Naomi Osaka captures 2nd U.S. Open title

Naomi Osaka came back to defeat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday in the women's U.S. Open final, which was played in front of a mostly-empty Arthur Ashe stadium in Queens, New York.

The win marks Osaka's second U.S. Open crown, and it was the third Grand Slam title overall for the 22-year-old star. For the first time since 1994, The Associated Press notes, the woman who lost the first set of the U.S. Open final won the next two sets to claim the victory.

Before the match, Osaka stepped onto the court wearing a mask with Tamir Rice's name on it — throughout the tournament she wore several different masks bearing the names of Black victims of violence, including Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Philando Castile. Both Osaka and her coach said her off-court activism has helped her energy and mindset during matches, AP reports. Read more at The Associated Press. Tim O'Donnell

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up