No. 1 in the world. Freshly crowned Australian Open champion. It’s official: Naomi Osaka is living her best life.

The 21-year-old overcame Petra Kvitova in the final, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4. She squandered triple match point in the second set before pulling it out for her third career title win.

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The past year as a whole has actually been quite amazing for the Japanese-Haitian sensation. From greatness-defining wins to off-the-court superstardom, hard-earned success has been coming Osaka’s way. And just think: At the start of 2018, the now-two-time major winner was ranked well outside of the top 50.

Here’s a look back at some of the monumental moments over the past 12 months.

1

Knocking Off the No. 1

After battling through the first few rounds in Indian Wells, Osaka faced world No. 1 Simona Halep in the semifinals. She toppled the Romanian to make her second career appearance in a final.

2

Becoming a Champion

Osaka went on to win the title against Daria Kasatkina in a battle of future superstars. Surprisingly, it was the first title of her career at any level.

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3

Slamming It Home

After Indian Wells, it was difficult to maintain some of her momentum. She regained it, though, at the perfect time with a two-week run through New York over the summer, winning her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. In the final, she picked up her second career win over Serena Williams.

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4

Celeb Status

Win in the Big Apple and you’ve officially made it. Osaka made an appearance on talk-show giant Ellen DeGeneres’ show and revealed her celebrity crush, actor Michael B. Jordan. DeGeneres’ social media antics got those two talking through Twitter. Not a bad perk, Osaka would surely say.

5

A Noteworthy Final

Not many players have reached a final in their next tournament after winning a major, but Osaka pulled off the feat post-US Open. Playing in front of her home crowd, she reached a third championship match of the year in Tokyo.

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The 21-year-old now has some time to bask in her success and reflect on a whirlwind 12 months.

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Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias

The Baseline Top 5:
Magical moments
for Osaka

The Baseline Top 5: Magical moments for Osaka

This Week on Tennis Channel Plus:

WTA St. Petersburg: Starting Monday, Jan. 28 at 5 a.m. ET, catch live coverage of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy featuring Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova.

WTA Hua Hin: Top seed Garbine Muguruza headlines the field from Hua Hin. Watch every match of the Thailand Open, starting Monday, Jan. 28 at 3 a.m. ET.