US Open: Everything cool about historic Serena Williams Final

We’re in for a historic U.S. Open Final for Serena Williams, and it’s just another in a long line of amazing career moments.

All of Serena Williams’ grand slam wins have come before she had baby Olympia, but she is going for a first grand slam win as a mom, a record 24^th. But youngster Naomi Osaka will do everything to establish her own legacy, as the first Japanese woman in a grand slam final.

Nearly 20 years ago, Serena Williams won her first grand slam title, at the U. S. Open. Naomi Osaka was just one years old. But on Saturday, she will play her “idol” in her first grand slam title appearance, at age 20.

The Flushing Meadows final will be historic either way. Here are some of the cool stats riding on the match.

• Serena Williams could win her 24^th grand slam. She already owns the most grand slam wins—man or women—in the Open Era, having surpassed Stefi Graf’s record of 22 at last year’s Australian Open. Serena is now targeting to equal Margaret Court’s overall tennis record of 24 slams.
• Naomi Osaka is the first Japanese woman to make a grand slam final. If she wins, she will also become the first to win a slam title. Saturday will be Serena’s 31^st appearance in a final.
• At this time last year, Serena Williams had just given birth to baby Olympia a few days ago. She also underwent four surgeries afterwards due to complications involving pulmonary embolism. Talk about resilient and a comeback.
• The U.S. Open is also Serena’s second grand slam final this year. If she wins she will become just one of a very few moms to achieve a grand slam victory after giving birth, including Court, Evonne Goolagong , and Kim Clijsters. Serena would be only the fourth to do so, not even quite a handful.
• Naomi Osaka grew up in New York, after her parents moved from Osaka, Japan to Long Island when she was three. She grew up watching matches at Flushing Meadows.
• Serena Williams was ranked as low as 491 after coming back from maternity leave. She is now ranked 26 and seeded 17th.
• Naomi Osaka will be no pushover in the match. She may “love” Serena, but she beat the 24-time slam champion in Miami earlier this year. In their head-to-head, Osaka comes out on top. But they’ve only played one match, and Serena is looking for revenge.
• Both players are on friendly terms, as this series of cute selfies shows.

• Osaka made her professional debut on the WTA circuit in 2013. The very next year she established her presence by knocking out top player Sam Stosur at the Stanford tournament.
• If Serena wins, she will be the oldest woman to win a grand slam title. She is currently third oldest.
• Osaka’s new coach since December 2017, Sascha Bajin, is a former hitting partner of Serena’s. Since he arrived, the 20^th seed went from world No. 68 to current No. 19.
• Serena holds the record for oldest world No. 1.
• Osaka beat the world No. 1, Simona Halep, to win her first WTA title this year, at Indian Wells, an impressive Masters 1000, often referred to as the “fifth grand slam.” Serena owns 72 WTA titles.
• The Japanese player clocked her first win over a Top 10 player when she beat Angelique Kerber at the U.S. Open last year.

Who will make history on Saturday? Tune in to find out. The women’s U.S. Open final takes place at 4:00 p. m. EST, viewable on ESPN with an encore presentation on the Tennis Channel.

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