Who is Naomi Osaka? Meet Serena's conqueror and tennis' new superstar

Alex Fisher

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Who is Naomi Osaka? Meet Serena's conqueror and tennis' new superstar image

Naomi Osaka is riding the crest of a wave on the WTA Tour after her Indian Wells Masters triumph and victory over childhood idol Serena Williams Wednesday night at the Miami Open.

The 20-year-old has burst onto the wider scene in recent weeks with an impressive eight-match winning streak that included some high-profile scalps.

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Her straight-sets success over Williams was the icing on the cake, though, given the 23-time Grand Slam champion's standing in the game.

But who is Naomi Osaka? We take a look at the rising star.

—Osaka was born on Oct. 16, 1997, in the city of Osaka on the Japanese island of Honshu.

—Her current ranking of No. 22 in the world is the highest in her fledgling career.

—Osaka is an aggressive baseliner, with a strong forehand and powerful serve.

—Osaka's idol is Serena Williams: "Serena's my favorite player. Just playing against her is kind of like a dream for me, so I'm very grateful that I was able to play her and it's even better that I was able to win."

—She made her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 Bank of West Classic at Stanford. Osaka beat Sam Stosur in the first round before losing to Andrea Petkovic.

—In January 2016, Osaka appeared in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open. She reached the third round before losing to Victoria Azarenka.

—After one final, four quarterfinals and third-round appearances at three Grand Slams, Osaka was named 2016 WTA Newcomer of the Year.

—The 2018 Australian Open saw Osaka reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

—At Indian Wells on Sunday, the youngster claimed her first WTA Tour crown.

—Osaka has beaten four current/former WTA number ones in her last eight matches — Williams, Maria Sharapova, Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep.

Alex Fisher