Naomi Osaka blitzes Serena Williams after crazy, ‘inexcusable’ meltdown

Serena Williams has broken down in spectacular fashion in one of the most extraordinary capitulations seen at the Aussie Open.

Serena Williams is out of the Australian Open after one of the most extraordinary meltdowns in her career.

Williams’ hunt for a record 24th grand slam crumbled in her hands, buried beneath an inexplicable mountain of unforced errors.

A red-hot Naomi Osaka turned the tables on Williams after going behind early in the first set and ran away with a 6-3 6-4 victory that took just 75 minutes.

From 2-0 ahead, and a break point on her strings, Williams melted down spectacularly.

This was arguably the greatest of all time falling apart like a local social tennis player who wore the wrong shoes.

Cheered on by her husband Alexis Ohanion, Williams looked lost, flustered and powerless.

Williams lost nine of the next 10 service games.

Even screaming at herself after a rare winner to start the second set, Williams ultimately ended up being broken and falling behind again.

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Serena Williams of was out of sorts.

“Make the shot,” she screamed into her chest as she clenched her fists.

Williams’ body language suggested she knew she was beaten right then and there.

The fight went out of her at the back end of the second set and she gave up the last eight points of the match, gifting Osaka the easiest of opportunities to serve it out.

With crowds returning to the Aussie Open on Thursday following Victoria’s five-day lockdown, the cheers and applause quickly turned in favour of Williams as the crowd sensed Osaka was going to roll over the top of the American superstar.

Congratulations on a great fortnight, @serenawilliams.

We can't wait to see you back here next year 💕#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/ccugVe6lcj

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 18, 2021

The atmosphere then turned eerie when Williams began to meltdown and a stunned crowd didn’t know where to look. They extended Williams a farewell fitting of a champion as she returned their affection with an extended wave as she began to walk off Rod Laver Arena.

The time Williams spent waving to the crowd has led to speculation the 39-year-old may have played her final match in Australia.

That felt like a moment.

Serena Williams gets a standing O as she salutes crowd, puts her hand to her heart on court. Soaks it in, as she should #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/YAzcOfTOYG

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 18, 2021

Williams was all class as she said her goodbyes — and embraced Osaka at the net as the pair shared a private moment.

Williams can only have congratulated the Japanese star after a performance that ultimately outclassed Williams.

Great recognizes great.

Thanks for treating us to that brilliant battle, @serenawilliams & @naomiosaka 👏#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/AedkNya8Rp

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 18, 2021

Osaka continued the classy sentiment in her on-court interview, saying it was an “dream” to play her former idol.

“I was just really, like, nervous and scared I think in the beginning. Then I sort of eased my way into it,” she said.

“It’s always an honour to play her. I just didn’t want to go out like really bad, so I just wanted to try my best.

“I don’t know if there’s any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play and just to be on the court playing against her for me is a dream.”

Osaka was undeniably playing at a level that would have left any tennis player on Earth on the verge of breakdown - but this Serena defeat went both ways.

In the first set she had just four winners and 16 unforced errors.

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Serena Williams looked defeated as early as the first set.

One of the most brutal returners in the sport, Williams was rattling off groundstrokes that looked as ugly as they sounded.

According to Australian Open stats, Williams failed to return 30 per cent of Osaka’s second serves — a stat tennis legend Jim Courier described as “inexcusable”.

It wasn’t until Osaka had the finish line in sight that Williams was gifted a look back into the match when Osaka had a mini-meltdown of her own with three double faults in the one service game, allowing Williams to level up at 4-4.

But Williams showed it simply wasn’t her day when she was broken on the very next service game.

Osaka was simply too good, and now leads Williams 3-1 in their head-to-head.

She will play the winner of the Jennifer Brady-Karolina Muchova match in the final.