The 23-year-old tennis star, number 3 in the world and third in the rankings, took just over an hour to beat Williams. Osaka will face Jennifer Brady, who defeated Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals, in the final of the Australian Open.

Williams’ intention to break the record held by Australian tennis star Margaret Court, who has 24 Grand Slam titles to her name, was shattered with the loss of Osaka. Williams has 23 Grand Slam tournaments to her name. His last title was in 2017, when he won the Australian Open.

Osaka’s first Grand Slam victory also came in a match against Williams, in which she defeated her idol in the 2018 US Open final.

During the final days of the Australian Open, Rod Laver Arena welcomes 7,477 fans per season. This is almost half of the total capacity of the Central Court. The organization reports that wearing a face mask is mandatory in places where it is not possible to keep an adequate distance.

The public in Melbourne Park has been banned for the past five days following a lockdown in the state of Victoria.