Australian Open 2021 - 'Naomi Osaka can win at least 10 Grand Slams' - Mats Wilander

Updated 20/02/2021 at 15:27 GMT

Eurosport expert Mats Wilander has paid tribute to the incredible Naomi Osaka after she won her second Australian Open title with a straight-sets victory over Jennifer Brady and fourth Grand Slam. The Japanese star was far too strong for Brady on Saturday, and Wilander cannot see why she won't now win at least 10 major titles.

Highlights: Majestic Osaka beats Brady to win fourth Grand Slam

Naomi Osaka, fresh off her second Australian Open title after beating Jennifer Brady, can kick on and win at least 10 Grand Slams, according to Eurosport's Mats Wilander.

The 2019 champion never looked overly troubled as she clinched a second crown at Melbourne Park and her fourth Grand Slam title in just one hour and 17 minutes - with all four having come on hard courts.

Wilander, speaking after the match in the Eurosport Cube, made it very clear that he believes Osaka has the talent and the mentality to rack up many more titles in her already illustrious career.

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"She was clearly the best player in this match and she looked so comfortable," Wilander said. "There’s no way you can disturb her, and you just see the calm victory celebrations: that tells me she was expecting to win, and she is going to win a lot more.

I think she has 10 [Grand Slams] in her minimum, I really do. I think everything is pointing towards her winning at least 10 majors.

"Of course, we know that motivation is important. Physically, she doesn’t move really well, but she’s so strong and she doesn’t look like she can get hurt very easily.

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"She is very subdued when she wins, which means she wants to win more. I think the only question mark for her now is: can she get comfortable on clay, and can she get comfortable on grass at Wimbledon?

"Because then there will be four majors she should be able to win. But at the moment she is the best hard-court player we have had in the women’s game since Serena Williams was at her best.

"I think we have to go back to the fact that she has never lost in the second week. Monica Seles, I think, won her first four Grand Slam finals, so I don’t know if she feels pressure, because pressure is built when you fail. Well, she doesn’t know what that feels like.

"We know when you are winning you don’t necessarily want to switch up your game too much, but there will be a day when she loses a bit of confidence. If you have a ‘B game' then maybe that fall is not as severe and you only go away for a few tournaments.

Osaka 'doesn't really have a weakness' - Wilander

"I think that is where she needs to improve, but when you are playing as well as this there is no reason to improve anything else."

At the age of just 23, the Japanese star has rightly been hailed by Eurosport's Justine Henin as the "new boss of women's tennis" - and her career trajectory is very much heading in the right direction.

Eurosport commentator Jo Durie declared that Osaka is now "the undisputed queen of the hard courts", while Simon Reed agreed that she is "the best female tennis player in the world".