The bubbly Osaka, 21, laughed off suggestions her meteoric rise had put her under pressure, saying she was relishing the big time after rising from 72 in the World No. 1 in the past 12 months
Oz Open champ Naomi Osaka at a Melbourne beach. Pic/AFP
Newly-minted Australian Open women's champion Naomi Osaka said she was not satisfied with back-to-back majors on Saturday and hoped to complete a "Naomi Slam" after her success at Melbourne Park.
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The bubbly Osaka, 21, laughed off suggestions her meteoric rise had put her under pressure, saying she was relishing the big time after rising from 72 in the World No. 1 in the past 12 months.
Japan's Osaka becomes the first Asian to hold the top ranking after downing Czech Petra Kvitova in a tight final on Saturday night and adding the Australian crown to the US Open title she won last year.
Osaka became the first woman to win successive majors since Serena Williams in 2015 and the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1998. Williams went on to complete her second "Serena Slam" - holding all four majors in the same 12 month period - and Osaka was excited about the prospect of claiming the French Open and Wimbledon for a "Naomi Slam". "I'm not going to lie and say that thought hasn't crossed my mind," Osaka said.
"I think moments like this are what you train for as a little kid to play the Grand Slams. To win another one is definitely a dream come true. The way the tennis world is, there's always next Slam, and we just want to keep training and win more."
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