Australia invited spectators back into the stands for this year’s Australian open. However, several cases were discovered in the crowds during the opening rounds of the tournament, so fans who planned to watch the games in person had to enjoy the main matches from home. Let’s look at the major takeaways and highlights from the final rounds of the first major tennis tournament of 2021. 

This year’s victory provided tennis legend Novak Djokovic with his ninth Australian Open singles championship win, the 18th Grand Slam of his career, and a men’s tournament record. The Serbian player kept his three year streak as an Australian Open champion alive over the weekend. Before the tournament, Djokovic’s prospects did not look promising. An injured abdominal muscle nearly forced him out of the tournament, yet he faced a five set match in the third round, as well as a four set challenge in the quarterfinals without breaking a swear. Djokovic played Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who Djokovic knew would be “the man to beat”. Medvedev was coming in hot from a 20 match winning streak, however he made 67 errors, 20 of them unforced. The young Russian was outsmarted by Djokovic, who set all kinds of traps for Medvedev, including a winner on the fourth shot. Djokovic defeated his opponent in three straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. It is clear that Djokovic has no intention of giving up the crown after lifting up the trophy in Melbourne for a ninth time. 

Naomi Osaka, the 23-year-old Japanese sensation, captured her fourth Grand Slam title, fresh off her 2020 win at the 2020 United States Open. Osaka played the United States’ Jennifer Brady, who was making her first appearance in a Grand Slam final. It was not Osaka’s cleanest match, as she made more unforced errors than usual, but there were key points that put her over the top. Brady held a two-point edge over Osaka in the first set while serving at 4-5, but Osaka came back to secure the break, as well as finish the first set. The second set was much quicker and less dramatic, as the third seed went into a 4-0 lead, on her way to her second Australian Open title. Osaka defeated Brady in two straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, and held the trophy over her head for the second time.