MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — As Naomi Osaka strode through the Champion’s Walk leading to the court for the Australian Open final—headphones on her ears, racket bag strapped to her back—she reached out her left hand to tap a panel marked with her name and the year of her previous title there.
Not a big deal, she explained. Just a bit of superstition. Less than 10 minutes later, she began the match against Jennifer Brady. And less than 1 1/2 hours later, Osaka won the last point, because that’s what she does when the stakes are the greatest on her sport’s biggest stages.
