An Overview of This Year’s Australian Open

Sarah Khan, Staff Writer

The first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year took place in February of 2021. The Australian Open was the only tennis tournament that was not affected by the coronavirus and allowed spectators to watch the matches.

While many top players chose to sit out of the tournament, citing safety concerns, many other top players participated in the event. Players such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams fought to cement themselves in history and break new records.

On the men’s singles side, Novak Djokovic and Danil Medvedev battled their ways to the finals of the tournament. Medvedev beat Tsitsipas in straight sets to claim a spot in the finals, similar to how Djokovic beat Karatsev. In the end, Novak Djokovic emerged victorious, winning in straight sets (7-5, 6-2, 6-2). This is Djokovic’s third consecutive win at the tournament and his eighth time winning the tournament overall.

On the women’s singles side, Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady met at the tournament’s championship match. The women beat out Serena Williams and Karolína Muchová, respectively, to win their spots in the final. Osaka won the match with ease, beating Brady in straight sets (6-4, 6-3). This secures Osaka’s position as the leader of the next generation of tennis players, as this is the fourth major title that she has won in just a few years.

There are traditionally three more Grand Slam tournaments that take place throughout the year. Whether they will still occur remains to be determined.